Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1920-12-17

low.
Sebastapool, Russia.
November s, 1920.
Editor Herald,
Pullman, Wash.
Dear Sir:
Being a former Knight of the
Pencil l feel sure that you will
be interested in knowing that Leon
X, Wiese, who | believe several
years ago served an apprenticeship
iii your office, has joined the Amer
lean Red Cross commission in South
Russia, has been given the rank of
captain and placed in charge of the
supplies with the title Director of
Supplies.
AS director of supplies, Captain
Wiese will have supervision over the
500 tons of stores-medical, food,
clothing and household equipment
which the American Red Cross is
shipping weekly to Crimea to aid in
alternating the terrible suffering
which now exists here.
The attacks of the BOlsheviks in
the other parts of Russia have driy-
en- many thousands of refugees to
the Crimea, which is far from pre-
pared to care for them. For eX-
ample, there are more than 100000
people living in SebastOpOl, which
before the war had a population of
about 10000. In many, many in
stances several families are living in
one room, which is devoid of the
proper sanitary equipment. They
have but little clothing, no beds and
no bed clothing. Fuel they have
none and it is only by the hardest eff
forts they are able to secure enough
food to keep body and soul to-
gether. These conditions do not eX-
list among the very poor alone. To
my knowledge, three generals in the
Russian army with their wives are
living in one room-and it is not
very large room at that.
Rooms rent for from 100000
rubles to 100000 month and are
difficult to find at any price. Bread
about the only food the majority of
the refugees are able to get sells for
500 roubles a pound and it is neces-
sary to stand in line sometimes for
more than an hour to buy it at that
price. Other food supplies sell at
even a higher rate Shoes are sold
at prices ranging from 100000
roubles a pair to more than three
times that amount. The cheapest
kind of stockings are sold for $4,000
roubles a pair. The man who re-
ceives 100000 roubles wages
month is considered fortunate, and
most of the women who have en-
ployment receive for their services n
month less than they are asked for
stockings.
With these few facts before you it
is easy to see the needs of the Amer
lean Red Cross in South Russia. The
work the organization is doing here
under the direction of Major Geo. H.
Ryden, director of the commission,
is indeed a splendid one, one which
is to a very great degree due to the
efforts of Captain and Mrs. Wiese,
who I am pleased to inform you are
both we'll. Mrs. Wiese, who before
her marriage was Miss Alice Lind
say of Missouia, Mont, has the dis
tinction of being the first woman to
come 20 South Russia to help with
the Red Cross work.
The experiences of Captain and
Mrs. Wiese since their marriage IN
1918 are most interesting. Shortly
after their marriage, Captain Wiese
went to France as lieutenant in the
army and served with honor to him
self and country on the Argonne and
other fronts. He later served II
Germany. In April of this year ne
Joined the American Red Cross and
was sent to Novorossisk, Russia. lie
sent for Mrs. Wiese to join him. pu'
when she arrived in Paris, those IN
charge of the A. r. c. headquarters
ala NOT daem II safe for her to &c