Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-10-31
POLISH. AMERICANS NEED HELP.
Red crsss Find Many Americans In
odessa Needing Aid. r..
tBy Associated Press.l


Warsaw, Oct. Capt. Leo. F. Nc
Guirc, OF Tulsa, okla- Of the Red
Cross mission to Poland found many
Americans in distress in Odessa when
he was sent to that city recently 20
bring out the wives and children Of
Polish army officers and men who had
been left there when the troops with
drew last April
Many of the Americans, he says,
were women whose husbands were in
America and some were mothers Of
sons in the United States. The Ameri-
e,sa civilians petitioned the Red Cross
agents to report their condition 20 any
nearby American consulate in the
hope OF obtaining Immediate help.
They had little money ana were con-
irving by uncert ain means to keep
body and soul together. Captain Nc
CURE brought TO Poland much mail
for their families in America,
The troops OF General Den!kine. aid
ed by British and French mad captured
the city from the Bolsheviki when
Captain Mcclure reached Odessa, but
the people Of tho city were In various
stages of misery.
Tho the Rolshevik batteries that
had pounded the city from nearby
hills finally had been silenced Odessa
vas still haunted by the terror Of the
late Bolsheviki regime" writes Cap
tain Mcclure. Bands Of anarchists
were scattered thru-out the town and
their armies We're only Is miles dis
tant. Revolution seemed to be 10
meutins and distracted throngs OF
miserable people were clamoring for
safety and escape from another period
OF terror.
People who were rich before tho
Bo'shevist occupation OF the city and
who were so lucky az TO have conceal
ed their treasures were selling Jewels.
furniture. linens ami all superfuous
belongings to obtain . nearer ration
Of bread.
"The Polish women and children for
whom we had come to this great Black
Sea port were hewildered and
frightened lot who had managed to
escape with their lives thru aEorizinS
times Of caiumny. corruption and
terror All told the same tale OF
cruelty. Before leaving the city, tn,
Bclsheviki had forced their unhappy
Polish prisoners to give up to them
more than 100000 ruoles. This left
them utterly without funds.
Fantastic prices for accon1moda-
tons made living conditions insuport-
able. The Black bread cost 100 rubles
a pound. butter 100 .rubles. One
chicken cost thousand r,ioles and
glass OF drinking water two ruslcs.
Four KINDS Of money were current,
tina. OF the Kerensky regime, the Boil
shevist, Ukrain!an and special Odessa
ruble. A penny box OF matches
brought IS rubles ana shoes. when
they could be obtained, brought untoli
thousands OF rubles. ThHse extra
ordinary prices mean starvation for
thousands Of people.
Disease was prevalent. Typhus nd
cholera have long since worked their
deadly way among the enormous
drifting population. Yet the number
Of inhabitants continues to increase.
Before the war Odessa had eoe.oe9
people; now it has more than 1.6ao,-
GEO.
ut was heartbreshing not to be sbie
to rescue the thousands of Poles who
had taken refuge in Odessa and were
unable to leave. Their number u said
to be 10000 Ali we're longing to re-
turn to their own country"