Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-01-28
LAC KOF TRAN NSPORTAT|ON
BLAMED FOR FAMINE
No Actual Shortage Of Food in
Russia but Distribution
Sources Are Demoralized.
espondcnce OF

London. Jan 49, S.-(Cornspondcnce OF
The Associated Press. .)-Dcmoralized
transportation, not lack of food, rs re-
sponsible for the famine conditions IN
Russia cities and towns, according To
Leslie Urquhart, a capitalist with large
mctallurgcal and mining interests IN
Siberia, Mr. Urquhart, who recently re-
turned from Russia. has been appointed
by the British government To assist In the
revival OF Sibcrias economic lie.
Considering the depreciation OF the
ruble, he told representative OF The
Associated Press, food prices in Siberia arc
practically normal In Western Siberia, he
said. there is so much food on hand that n
considerable surplus could be sent into
other parts of Russia. and the same applies
he understood to Southeastern Russia
and to the Ukraine.
Broadly speaking, IT can he sand that IN
the country as A whole there is no shortage
of food, and although the large towns of
north and central Russia ar starving there
is plenty OF food IN the villages The diff
ficulty of transport, due to the disorgam-
zation of the railways, the industrial
strikes and risings which brought about the
flooding of tie Donetz coal mines and the
decrease In the supply Of fuel TO less than
25 per cent Of norma production, civil
war IN the country and economic chaos
generally arc all reasons for the state
bordering on famine in the towns
'Eklbastous, tho greatest wheat pro
ducing province IN Siberia, with large
stocks of wheat lying less than 100 miles
away IS living from hand TO mouth as II is
practically impossible 10 transport the
Wheat for lack Of strap iron with which
to make tires for wagon wheels.
Continual increase of wages In industri-
al and manufacturing towns has raised
the cost Of iron, steel, ciothm boots and
other essentials of everything indeed that
the peasant wears and uses and the
peasant represents IS per cent Of tho
population Of the country to 20 and even
50 times their normal value. The town
workers. or Is per cent of the population,
however, would not permit the Soviet
government to raise the maximum prices
fixed for food This one-sided legislation
not unnaturaly lncenscd the peasant,
While he had to pay 20 and so times the
normal price for all essential commodities
produced bv the industrial workers in
Inc towns, he received only about double
the normal pre-war price for the produce
Of his own labor
Therefore. the peasant sits tight on hls
grain lie refuses to sell wheat to the
BolshevIkiat nj the requisition price OF 2
cents a pound when he can sell IT at 90
cents pound or even more When II can
be got, bread today in Pctrograd or
Moscow is | 6 rlblcs or more pound. The
peasant il willing to barter his food for
cloth, steel, textiles and other neccsSaries,
but the industrial workers have ruined
industry Nothing is beng produced,
there is nothing TO barter with. The
peasants have large accumuIatIons OF
paper money, but this is Of no vallc for
they can buy nothing with IT, Meanwhile
the peasants arc boarding their produce.
In sense then tho peasant Is master
Of the situation He has the food, the
townspeoplc have not The Bolshcvlki have
tried with varing success to take wheat
and other produce by force 70 feed the
prolentarIat of the towns, but neither the
Germans in the Ukraine, as they have
found to their cost, nor the workmen IN
the towns can get food from the Russian
peasant If he docs not choose 10 let them
have it,
Since the foregoing statements WAS made,
It has been announced that the Allied
nations have made arrangements to take
over the operation Of the trans-Slberlan and
Chinese Eastern railways with John +.
Stevens, the American engineer, IN charge
Of their operation