The Washington times., 1921-08-27
MILLIONS ARE
DOOMED TOD|E
|NFAM|NE AREA
Despite Russian Relief Meas
ures, Hordes Of Refugees :.
Will Perish.
BY HARRY l.. ROGERS,
international News Service.

There seems to be not the slight
est doubt that millions of Russians
will die this winter Of hunger and
disease, despite the best efforts that
the American Relief Association and
kindred organizations may, put for
ward.
More than 100000 inhabitants
are already directly affected by the
| famine, official reports to the state
Department show. and these condi.
lions are expected to become worse
and worse as the small stocks OF
| foodstuffs on hand dwindlsS~And the
cold weather adds its terrors to those
OF hunger.
The Bolshevist authorities are say
| ing little of those twin plaques,
cholera and typhus, which are stalk
| ing with giant strides through the
| Inflated country, but apparently re-
| liable information here indicates that
these dread diseases may soon rival
the famine in the number of their
victims.
$4,000 Cases Of Cholera.
Moscow officials now admit 75,-
900 cases of cholera, with tacit ac-
acknowledgement that The disease
| is on the increase. In the pc
riod from January / to July 15 Of
| ficial Soviet organs in Moscow re-
ported $1,000 cases, of which more
| than $4,000 had occurred IN the sim
gle month Of June. AS communica-
| ton with even the more accessible
districts is VIGOROUSLY poor, II is re-
| garded as certain that the actual
number of cases is vastly greater
than the official reports would indi-
| cate.
That the present situation is
| fraught with danger for the Bolshe-
visit regime Is regarded by officials
here as automatic. The rule of Lee
min and. Trotsky, 1t is pointed cut,
has been the rule Of small bu.
domnantly militaristic minority over
huge but exceedingly docile ina.
| jority.
The inevitable tendency Of the Rus
sian peasant, 1t is pointed out, is 10
hold the Bolshevists. whom he has al
ways regarded with suspicion at best,
responsible for the evils which now be-
| set him. Coupled with this feeling is
| his prejudice against the Jews. which
Is both religious and racial. Because
of the fact that many official positions
| OF Importance in the Bolshevist re-
| gime are held by Jews, he is apt to
merge his antipathies, and predictions
of general attacks upon both the
] Soviet government and upon the Jews
as a race are contained in reports of |
1 many observers now coming out Of /
Russia.
! Soyiets Realize Danger.
Officials here believe the Soviet au.
| thorities are fully aware Of the dan
gers which threaten their government
| as result Of the present conditions in
| Russia. II is for that very reason.
| they say, that the Bolsheviki were so
eager to gain control, II possible. of
the distribution Of the relief. The
| American prisoners who have just ar
rived in the Baltic States have reit-
Grated to Government officials and to
officers OF the various relief organi-
cations, their belief that Americans
| should have absolute supervision of
the distribution of supplies.
| II the Soviet officials are allowed to
distribute the relief. they assert. only
Soviet sympathizers would receive the
relief and the real Russian people
would be allowed to starve, as there
| cannot hope to be sufficient supplies
| for all. Many administration officials
have shown resentment of the attitude
| taken by some of the Soviet authori-
| ties and much of the Soviet press. II
| anything is to be judged from the
| views expressed in the Soviet press,
| they declare the Communists appar
emily regard 1t as a favor that they
should allow the United States to save
the Russian people from starvation.
Million Tons Needed.
While the feeling is growing that
| there must be concessions on both
| sides as to the exact degree OF re-
| straint which is to be placed upon
| the activities OF relief workers, there
IS also a distinct conviction al'ong
Administration officials that the Rus
sian people as a whole should know
| that the relief Is coming from outside
Russia. and not from the Bolshevist
| government. Otherwise II is pointed
| out, American organizations would
| merely be giving their assistance In
| process OF prolonging the life OF the
| Soviet regime, a government with
| which both the Democratic and Re-
publican administrations in the Uni
| ted States have refused to deal.
| Estimates by Moscow officials OF
the immediate needs IL the ravages OF
| famine are to be checked call for
nearly a million tons of breadstuffs
TO be distributed in ten provinces. In
the middle Nolga district the famine
| situation is especially serious, and not
less than 2,160, 900, 900 pounds of food.
stuffs will be required in that dis
| trict alone.
These estimates are not inclusive
OF the amounts of grain necessary for
seed purposes II there is to be croL
next year. Not less than 250,OOO,0OO
pounds of grain are required before
September / in order that the fields
may be sowed before the winter
frosts. Indications are that very little
winter grain will be sowed because
of the difficulty Of transporting the
seed, even IL 1t were available.
Coal Production Reduced.
That the pinch of the fuel famine
is making itself felt is shown by Off
cial reports issued in Moscow to the
effect that the coal production pro-
gram for the whole of Russia has
4 been reduced to less than half. In the
Don region, the greatest coal-produc
ing area of Russia, production is be.
low one-fourth of normal.
Both the famine and the cholera are
conducting to This deplorable situation,
as miners are fleeing literally in droves
in their efforts TO reach food and