The Washington herald., 1921-12-10
RUSSIAN
CHILDREN ENVIOUS
OF FED BROTHER
Gibbs Tells of Planting
Of Seed for Those Who
May Live.
Continued from Page One.

/
cuts off most of the famine area
from further supplies on a big scale
owing to difficulties of transport
beyond the railroads.
Russia Has No Reserves.
believe the Soviet government
| is doing the best 1t can in famine
relief. / have been impressed espe-
ciaIly by the keen, jealous way in
which the local committees have,
with few exceptions. co-operated
with the British and American re-
lief administrations.
They have raised no difficulties
except Of a minor character. They
have played fair and straight and
have done their utmost for the
starving folk apart from the ap-
paIling difficulty of getting quick
action from people who have the
| Oriental spirit of time. the Oriental
habit of mistaking words for deeds.
But with the best will in the
world the central executive Of the
Soviet republic can do very little
to feed the hungry people.
The situation is summed up in
a few words: Russia has no re-
serves. Her cupboard is bare
will not now deal with the
causes of this dearth. which are
partly political. as well as due to
drought. But of one fact | see evil
dence on every side. In Moscow
since private trading was allowed
three months ago number OF
! Oh
considering the size Of the city.
But there is very little inside them
and few buy. The shopkeepers have
no stocks. The people have no
money. except for the bare neces-
stiles which they buy in the mar
kets.
All Are Underfed.
Even in Moscow. where there is
no famine -- though many hungry
folk-everybody lives from hand to
mouth. meagerly. They have no re-
serves Of wealth or goods. The gov
eminent itself can hardly afford to
pay its officials and feed its SOL
diers. Professors and school teach
ers have not received their salaries
in some cases since September. so
one told me. with tale Of her life
on weak tea and black bread.
Students at Moscow University
get a pound Of bread daily-"sOme-
times" as one said-now and then a
| herring. The red soldiers. mostly
lads of Il or Is. are on low ratiOns;
Z some ! am told by one Of their
officers, sell their boots for extra
food.
Many OF them look underfed 70
me. though some are lusty young
louis. Russia is for the time being
worn threadbare by war. civil war
general break down Of economic
+ life due to social chaos. Getting
back to the famine. which is made
blacHer. more hopeless. by these
conditions-the general lack Of ma
tioual reserve-the statement Is
made that at least 50.O0O0n0 pools
Of seed grain are needed from for
} cign countries 10 insure next years
harvest In spite of desperate and
energetic efforts made by the So
Wet government to get seed to tbs
peasants for autumn and sprinr
. planting. they ar" that amount
short: and the famine may spread
, over next winter il grains are with
held.
Production Very Low.
The dcarih may be realized vhcl
! say that in the province 81 kaza'
only 100000 pools were harv"Ste,
tins wear. in comparison with 10
600 600 in 1880 and - .oon.U"n in pre-
war times. Those figures are mo-
much better or worse than IN Other
: great territories Of the far.r" re
gion. where the peasant lets wH"'
! OF his ground go out Of cul,'vat OF
in order TO escape government
acquisitions. because he could not
sell his surplus stock. which then
was burnt up hv drought.
From their own government. there
fore. the Russian peasants I'm the
famine lands cannot hope for 'eScu~
In regard to famine relief J have
I much to say. yet now will give no
, more than a few facts about feedin-
, the children.
: Among twenty-five million p"oDl.
= in the black provinces there is p child
population Of SIX millions. Most -
them are underfed Millions 2r'
10 actually at the starvation point
= Mighty efforts are being mad" Il
I feed them. International famine re
I lief. including the work Of sav" ih'
e children fund, is getting reads q
/. feed about seventy thousand children
i They are feeding nothing like thai
r number Yet down Saratoff way.
o The American relief adminisi~a
I ton. working on bigger lines, viii
g immense energy and experience. un
4 der young men who have been dh.n
V this job for three years IN othe
j countries. was actually feeding o.
/. November first 2O1.2OS children. il
r the following districts: Samara. 80.
e ISL; Petrograd. $4,000; Kazan. ia.