The Washington herald., 1920-11-01
RUSS STARVING
AS THEY WAIT
FOR WARS END
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE.

front and has sent large supplies
for their maintenance.
(b) The maintenance OF the dis
abled and their dependents.
This includes pensions, both to
disabled workmen and soldiers.
As the value of money has so
depreciate these are now paid
| largely in goods. In the case OF a
disabled working woman or the
| wife of a disabled man, pensions
are paid for the maintenance Of her
children. or IL she chooses they
may be placed in an institution.
This department is also respon-
sible for the training Of the par
| TALLY disabled. both workers and
soldiers.
(c) There is a special depart
ment for the maintenance OF the
families Of soldiers and sailors.
The Peoples Commissarint for Food.
AS my Investigations have so far
| been confined to the welfare OF
| children, have not yet visited this
commissariat so cannot report
| thereon; but their main function
seems to be the procuring Of food
from the peasants by exchange for
goods or by levy. They then dis
tribute this food through their own
| depots or through the other COM
! missariats.
Nearly all of these organizations
are dependent for supplies on the
/ Soviet commissariats, and as the
commissariats become more and
more efficient these private organ
izations will probably be absorbed
by them.
! At present in Moscow, the
League for Saving the Children has
q large organization for feeding
weak children. They receive al.
most the whole of their supplies
from the Soviet authorities, though
we have given them a little help
and may give them some more
through the Council for the Protec-
tion of Children "a Soviet organ
ization). There are also several
small colonies for children man
aged by Tolstoians and similar
groups.
The largest nou-soviet relief or.
ganizatiop here is the Jewish Com
mittee for the Relief of War and
Pogrom Sufferers. They have a
special temporary arrangement with
the government whereby they may
receive relief supplies direct from
s'fN N'4S JStNN
committee (American) and somt
Scandinavian Jewish committee
have sent them supplies.
Arrangements are at present
being made for the receipt of out.
side relief, and It seems probable
that as far as children's work i.
concerned this will be done through
the Council for the Protection oi
Children.
Protection of Children.
This is a Soviet organization
composed of representatives from
the commissariats Of health, food
instruction, social maintenance, anc
committee of Commissars (cabinet)
They have the power to make
emergency arrangements for chile
welfare, 1t supervises the distribu
tion of supplies to Soviet or.
sanizations. 1t exercises genera
supervision over all children TO set
that none are uncared for. This /.
the organization through which
think it will be best to work
Tomeleno is about ten miles from
Moscow and there We're several
country houses which before tn,
revolution used TO belong to wealthy
people in Moscow who used to live
there during the summer months
These houses are now used as Z
children's colony under the Com.
missarait for Public instruction.
On a recent Sunday paid a sur,
prise visit TO this colony. Their,
being no possibility of those il
charge knowing that l was to visi
them, nor was the selection Of thi!
particular colony made by the com
missariat, but was purely my owl
choice. I therefore feel convinced
that ! saw the colony under norma
conditions and that it was not 4:
special show place.
, Called Him Daddy.
I arrived at Tomeleno at abou
II a. m, and was most warml,
welcomed both by the children an,
the staff and before very long
. became Daddy Watts" to the chill
, dren, who were particularly friend
, ly, full of play and without tn
, slightest sign OF fear of any kind
r They at once made friends and W,
: had a great time together. despit
y my Ignorance of their language.
! The children followed or preceded
: US everywhere; they seemed to b,
l allowed the most perfect freedom
e o go where they liked and do wha
they liked; but they were alway
= obedient to every wish of thei
teachers in a most remarkable de
gree. The extraordinary amount o
freedom combined with such quicl
! response to the suggestion of tn
teachers or managers is most re
e markable. To see the children her
is TO be convinced that whatex
may be the dangers Of Communist
establishing a dictatorship durinI
the process of building up a So
cialist state, they are educating tn
children in a way that will max
dictatorship impossible.
In this particular colony there ar
!, 100 children divided into fou
4 houses. with a manager over eac
: house. In fine weather they a.
= have their meals together in tn
S open air, four orderlies Zone fror
d each group of children) assistin
s the adults in serving. Considerin
= that the children are all betwee
the ages of and 5, they do re
markably well. Besides the order
lies for the meals. children are Sc
z leCted to sweep up the garden an
assist in the housework.
Have Small sanatorium.