South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-06-15

CONTIST ED FROM PAGE ONE.
ter of than the Serbs. But all over
the Balkans the common people are
In want The famine rests upon the
Czechs more lightly than elsewhere
but all over this territory want -
dire and pitiful. and babies need
more mothers milk than they can
get.
So dire indeed is the need for
children's food I'm Rumania and I'm
parts of Serbia that children OF eight
are still tugging at the empty breasts
or the underfed mothers. Children
born there weigh on an average OF
four pounds at birth. and scarcely
increasa their weight for six months.
Indeed births are the rule rath-
or than the exception. Mothers can
not carry their children the full time.
This is true all over the famine
area. Hence the appalling drop in
the birth rate
Now we may fairly ask why civil
ization has permitted this famine 10
run unchecked. Never before in the
world has such agony visited the in
nocent as has come 70 women and
children in the last ten months. Yet
| last year America increased its food
export purposes from approximate
" 100000 tons In 1913 10 1900
600 tons.
Politics and Food
The Russians. for instance, were
willing 20 pay for food Lenine had
S5O.0OO.OOO in gold 10 pay for food,
and was anxious 20 buy it on our
| own terms. Herbert Hoover sitting
In his office during March and April
was fretting HIS head off trying TO
/ get American food to Russia. The
/ allies had a scheme 10 sell food TO
/ Russia through a commission ap-
| pointed among the neutrals and
| headed by hansen, the explorer.
! hansen was 10 see that all classes
\ OF Russia were treated alike in the
| distribution OF food: that the boil
/ sheviki. for instance, did not deny
\ food 20 those who opposed them.
| This plan was on the table of the
allies for two weeks waiting for the
| signature Of Clemenceau after the
| other heads of allied government
: had signed IT. Finally when the sig
/ nature came Il was three weeks be-
| fore the reply came from Russia.
| The allies proposed TO sell food 70
/ the bOlsheviki only if the bolsheviki
| would cease hostilities in the south
/ where the allies were losing. No
! promise was made TO cease hostili-
ties against the bolsheviki IN the
north, where the bolsheviki were
losing az the time
Trotzl1y and Lenine had sent pro-
/ posals in March to the effect that
they were willing 10 cease hostuities
/ If. their enemies would cease. pro-
vided the allies would raise the
| blockade. England and America
were inclined to accept this PROPOSE
ton. France did not favor It. SO
when the proposition came to the
bolsheviH 10 stop where they were
/ winning and keep on losing where
they were losing. they refused. The
tinues. In the meantime II is quite
evident that the bolsheviki hope to
profit by the summer They are
making their greatest gains toward
the Crimea where the great wheat
fields are. and the oil fields
II is oil as well as wheat that is
causing the famine in central Russia.
For engines on the railroads are
rusting in shops for want of oil.
Motor trucks are burned out by the
thousands for want OF oil. Industry
N rf l. ~N-
food cannot move for want of oil.
And Trotzky is making a supreme
effort 10 take the oil fields OF the
south.
At this writing II looks as though
Dennekin had turned back the boil
shevik troops: possibly the three
months bolshevik victory has been
checked but temporarily. But - =,
Is permanently checked. If the bol-
sheviki cannot get TO the oil ana
wheat Of the Crimea. they cannot 90
through another winter. and the boil
shevist menace in Russia will end
With IT, OF course. the famine vii
end-if the world sends in food Ru-
II the bolsheviki do get 10 the
Crimea. and hold IL, II the boishe.
Wiki get wheat and oil. they will hold
on another winter: but IT must be a
/ winter OF famine again.
Another Winter of Starvation.
The wheat OF the Crimea is mo-
enough 70 allay the famine. The oil
OF the Crimea viii only keep a slug.
gish current OF trade going. And
some adjustment must be made with
the bolsheviki this summer or in the
autumn 20 relieve the winters suf
fering. Civiliza ton cannot play pol.
itics while women and children are
starving. even though we did pla,
politics this winter with famine sit
ting at the table while we PLAYED.
But then the war was on us as W,
played. Our hearts still were alles
with the blood lust Of war. II vii
he another world around the tabl,
next autumn.
And this brings US MP 20 consid
Grafton OF the German famine Tho
was our own private famine. TIL,
allies were responsible for 10. II &
, the penalty we put upon defeat las
winter
Count Rantzau-B rockdorf sittin.
v~hru no should bova o+oo5 -t 81.