The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-06-17
RUSSIAN AID.
BARONESS WRANGEL AP-
PEALS TO AMERICA
Wretched Plight of Two Million
ExiIes, Obliged To Flee For
Their Lives
BARONESS WRANGEL

baroness WrdnSel, Wue OF
General Peter Wrangel, arrived
In Paris few days ago from
Constantinople, where her hus.
band remains with the tattered
remnants of his refuge army,
once the finest Cossack fighting
force in Russia She prepared
the following statement for the
United Press, in an effort to put
squarely before the American
people the great problem Of the
Russian refugees in southeast
ern Europe. Baroness Wrangel
Is one Of the most talented Rus
sian noblewomen. Educated in
London and Paris, she speaks
and writes English and French
as well as Russian.
Paris, June 13.-It is time for the
allied nations and for the United
States to face the question squarely:
What is to be done for Russia,
and the Russian people?
] have faith that the people Of the
United States will do this with
sympathy and generous hearts, for
without the help of American relief,
in money, goods and splendid or
ganizing ability, the exiled Russian
would most Of them, by this time,
have died of want. -.
marily we owe our very existence,
although money, food and ships
were freely given by organizations
in Other countries. We are not un-
grateful, but we realize that 1t is to
Americans we must look for con-
tinued help. America has the will
to help US, and she has the great
advantage of being free from foreign
political entanglements.
Wretched Plight Of Exiles
/ am sure that the wretched plight
100000 of whom had to fee for their
lives, Is not known except to the
few Americans with whom they have
come in direct contact. have read
fantastic tales of people escaping
with enormous wealth in rubles,
diamonds, pearls and sables and Of
how they are living in luxury on the
sale OF these valuables. The Russian
exiles, as matter of fact, are from
all classes, rich and poor, and most
Of them escaped with nothing. Even
II some did manage to carry away a
few jewels they had to sacrifice them
Russians, the great, unnumbered
hordes who are existing today in a
dozen countries OF Europe, are al
most without exception, paupers.
/ remained with General Wrangel
all through the summer and autumn
of 1920, while he was successfully
fgthing the Bolshevik, and re-
NAMED in Sevsstopol until the de-
lection of the Poles and the utter
exhaustion Of the Volunteer Army
made the evacuation Of the Crimea
the survivors Of the army and, the
silk greater number Of civilian re-
fugees were saved abroad American
destroyers and other ships.
Why Crlmea Was Given Up
The reason why the Volunteer
Army after a long series of brilliant
victories, was at last forced to give
up -Crimea, was simply lack of arms,
ammunition and other supplies. The
Bolshevik Army, overwhelming in
numbers as 1t was, might well have
not been supplied with everything
we lacked. They had the enormous
stock of arms, machine guns and
artillery, sold by the Americans to
the old Russian army, so that while
we have been and still are dependent
on American assistance, we were, all
unknown to Americans, beaten by
guns made in the United States.
We left, my husband on one ship
and l on another, to join the un-
speakably miserable outcasts In
Constantinople-men, women and
children, who once had country OF
which they were proud and hopeful,
and who now no country wants. Can
you imagine what that would mean
to Americans If, by some sudden and
hideous catastrophe, they would have
to leave every possession behind them
and fly, half naked, cold and hun
cry, to alien landS? No European
country wants Russian exiles. Per-
haps It is true that no country can
give them work, and 1t Is certain
that none can support them, Nor 90
we want to be supported. We want
to get back our country before 1t is
too late to rebuild what the Bolshe-
visits have ruined and destroyed.
For a time 1t seemed as though
the Allies desired to help US, but
now they seem to regard US as per-
manent exiles France, who went SO
far a year ago as to recognize the
Wrangel government in the Crfmea,
has deserted us. There seems to be
no plans for Russians except to send
us back to the Bolshevist terror, or
to transport US as poems to Brazil.
We have our choice. Some have
gone back to Russia, some have gone
to Brazil, but to what kind of fate?
When General Wrangel was asked to
approve the Brazilian scheme he
asked the French Government for
but none were given him,
and we advised the Russians not to
90. Again, after the Congress Of
London, General Wrangers approval
was asked for the removal OF Rus.
slams to the Crimea. Again he asked
that the lives and safety Of the peo-
pie be guaranteed, but the Allies
cannot even guarantee the safety Of
their own people in Bolshevist Rus
STA. Small wonder that our people,
with few exceptions. have taken
General Wrangeps advise and have
refused to go back.
Must Help Russian People
The Russian people must be help
ed and the help must come soon. II
we could be intelhgently distributed
the Balkans we could find
work and We could live until it is
possible to 20 back to Russia. II
League of Nations still remains 1t
ought surely to find some solution.
At best the outlook for Russia is
dark, not only for us but for the
civilized world. II two years ago we
could have gone back to our lost
land, our desolated homes, we might
have worked out constitutional
form of government in accord with
the best civilization In the world.
am afraid we cannot do that now.
u ,,sofo ynw faces a, choica re fw0