Evening star., 1921-12-30
Uncle Sans Christmas Gift.

"a more appropriate message of
good will upon earth" could not have
been conceived, the New York Times
thinks. than Uncle Sans Christmas
gift of s20,000.Oo0 worth of corn. seed
grain and condensed milk to starving
Russians. While there has been, as
the Oklahoma City Oklahoman says,
Considerable difference of opinion
among the people of the United States
as to the wisdom of making a gov
ernment appropriation for the pur-
pose of relieving distress in Russia"
the emotional appeal of thousands of
dying children has combined with
Christmas sentiment to overcome al
most entirely whatever political OBJ
lection there might be to taxing one
people for the relief of another. And
while making it plain, as the New
York Tribune does. that "our aid to
the little sufferers is given with
complete recognition of the atrocity
Of the Moscow system. which con-
tinues to offer the starving not bread
but a stone" most American writer's
feel that "the richest nation on
earth" can well afford to be generous.
A few papers. however. agree with
the Louisville Post that "the fact that
has been subscribed privately to Rus
sian relief is significant. The Ameri-
can people are as generous as ever.
but they have been slow to
help Russia, because there is deep
rooted conviction in this country that
Russia ought to do more to help her
self" The United States has done
practically everything possible to re-
lieve suffering in the famine areas.
but there isn't any earthly use of
keeping this thing up" the Dayton
News declares, unless the world has
some assurance that Russia is willing
to help herself. One of the
troubles. it may just as well be dis
cussed with perfect frankness. has
been that whole lot of sympathy has
been expended on the country with
cut very much interest being taken by
the country in itself" And fearing
that Russia is already a prey to the
madness that overcomes those whom
the gods would destroy, the Chicago
Journal doubts that the money appro-
priated by Congress will keep the
toll of hunger from reaching ghastly
height" since in the face of all the
relief measures now practiced famine
deaths are steadily increasing"
But unanswerable as is the argu-
ment about self-help. that kind of
thing is impossible in the case of
starving Russians" the Sioux City
duce their own sustenance at this
time" and unless they receive help
from outside sources they must sue
cumb." Further. the Duluth Hearld
asserts there is no politics in this.
It is just matter of dying people.
some of whom we can save II we
will" for "Russias starvation is not
all the fruit of bolshevism. First
there was long decay under the czar.
which left only shell. Then revolu-
ton crushed the shell. and bolshevism
made a desperately bad matter in
finitely worse. But the chief trouble,
that which makes the appalling situ-
alton in the Volga re...en. Is drouth,
wears of no crops" And granting all
the intolerable political conditions.
the Atlanta Journal holds that food
will still he "the best of all possible
answers that humane democracy
could make to bolshevism." Certainly
mo normal al-hearted person, knowing
the human misery that lies dark and
deepening over the vast Volga region,
would lift finger to stay the mission
of succor," for nothing less than
whole hearted response would, in the
opinion of the Journal. "have been
characteristic of America or in any
wise worthy of her"
Since all the supplies provided for
are to be purchased in the United
States, under the terms of the act,
this Russian relief, as the Minnesota
Star says, "ins no way transgresses
whatever truth lies in the adage that
charity begins at home,'" for. the
Syracuse Herald points out, "the op-
Grafton will be big enough to help the
American grain market and our ship
ping interests as WELL" 1t is not
often, the Herald continues. t'that a
noble national undertaking involves
such IN incidental benedt to the ooun-
try from which the bounty proceeds"