The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-11-20

Kills all human CHARITY in the
hearts of many peoples so that they
prefer lies to truth, if truth is ever
So little in favor of a single Soviet
official and will let millions OF
peasants die lest one Bolshevik
should get political advantage. In
Riga and Helsingfors aud other
places near the Russian from
ties there are factories OF lies, and
the liars are busy with the cables
accusing the Soviet government Of
seizing food sent for the relief OF
famine. inventing lies about fooo
ships raised at Petrograd. poison
ing public opinion with the belief
that its charity will be wasted be-
cause Red armies and not starving
peasants will get the food sent for
rescue. Those are the lies of no
litical propaCandists paid BY Russ
ians OF the old regime and by theit
friends. The truth is exactly oppo-
/ site.
Relief Fund -UnmoIested.
Whatever the past and preseni
crimes of the Soviet governmen.
may be-and that is outside my line
OF inquiry have absolute evidenc.
for saying that so far up TO the
I
food sent for famine relief both by
British and American societies has
reached the famine areas intact
without the jealous assistance o.
Soviet authorities. The American
relief people are sending 1900 tons
a week, which is sufficient to feed
nearly 100000 children. and they
have no kind OF theft or outracs-
to report. The truth is that Rus
SLAMS. whatever their political posi-
| ton or creed inside Soviet Russia
are desperately engaged in fghting
the famine down South and welcome
every ton of food that comes in as
ian act of grace that may help To
save the lives OF their stricken
1 folk. For only they know the depth
and breadth of the tragedy that
has befallen those millions OF
peasant folk who now find winter
creeping upon them, and with il
! for many of them-for at least
100000 of them-inevitable death
There has been eNaggeration. IL
Is true, by journalists writing from
Russia and not from frst hand
knowledge. That was inevitable
/ owing to the vast size Of Russia
and TO the habits OF Russ an peas
ants, to whom rumor from far
villages comes with panic tongues
II is not true that p. GEO 600 people
| began to move in mad flight from
/ their unfruitful lands: only some
! hundreds of thousands fed like that
in search Of food and many OF these
were Let's and Poles who had re-
treated into Russia before advanc
ing tides of war. when German
armies and afterwards White"
armies were on the move When
famine came they struggled back
to their own countries. swarminc
along roads and railways. starving
and dying from disease. The sur
viVors were helped on their way
by the Russians, and towns lik,
RIGA are now feeding them ~
camps. The Russians have organ
( lied system for evaCuating peo-
pie from the worst districts to moro
prosperous places and - 600 wo-
men and children have been rescued
in this way and fed by the self
sacrifice Of Russian workmen VINO
( have given up part OF their own
rations so that these starving crea-
lures may be fed.
Winter snow Brings Added Horror.
But now that winter has com,
ems. For millions there can be NJ
chance Of rescue. and for the other
only the chance that the charity or
the world will be quick and cener
Gus. not held back by political
hatred or cold diStrUst. Russia can
not save her own people. without
outside help they will he lost. Even
the tides Of private charity flowing
T INTO British and American Reliet
Missions do hut touch the frontier
Of the famine stricken land. The
governments of the world have been.
slow to recognize their duty to law
/ higher than diplomacy-Slow and
grudg'ng to. vote a few millions
/ for human relief when th,v wcrr
/ quick to vote so many millions for
Z destruction. These stricken crea
lures are dependent for rescue or
/ the conscience of the world. Every
man and woman who sits down t.
good meal must be haunted DIV
I the thought of those Russian neas-
ants who sit before empty plattery-
Are we Eoing to let them die? II ".
do the ghosts Of those millions Il
/ Fellow beings will accuse rs
throughout all future history. and
II we have any conscience left will
choke us as we eat. The menace Of
i'olSheNlsm to, our own civilization
may he disarmed by generosity
But be that as it may. it is surely
the elementary duty Of the human
family TO hurry to the help of those
millions who by no fault Of theirs
have fallen into the jaws Of famine
which is followed by peStilencc
From Russia ! write these words
to English speaking folk on behalf
OF men and women and little chill
dren whose cries for help grow
weak and are not heard
Copyright, 1921, by The Mcclure Neuspaper
Syndicate.