The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-08-02
ten MIL LION IN
SOVIET RUSSIA
FACING famine
Soviet Regiment Mutinies
When RatiOns Are Cut.
Cholera and Famine Conditions
Grow Worse Steadily.
GERMANS FEAR FLEEING HORDE
News of Coming American Aid
Only Ray of Hope.
Whole Cities Being Sacked by
Hunger Maddened MObs.

Berlin, Aug. 2.-The Pavlowski reg
iment of the Russian soviet army has
mutinied in protest against reduced
rations. said a Petrograd dispatch to
the Lokal Anzeiger today. Loyal
communist troops put down the mu-
tiny and shot the ringleaders.
More than 100000 persons face
death in Russia today. Cholera is
spreading. Famine conditions are
worse every twenty-four hours. The
morale Of the people is breaking
down. Hundreds of thousands are in
district are filled with unburied
corpses. Practically all of the work
shops are idle. The railway transpor-
| tation system has nearly collapsed.
But there was one ray of hope to-
day and it came from the United
States. The news that America will
aid Russia caused a wave of relief in
! Germany, Poland and the Baltic
states.
Fear Fleeing Peasants.
1t is believed that the American as
sistance will check the wild flight of
hundreds of thousands of peasants
from the famine stricken, cholera rid
den districts. Germany and the
states adjoining Russia on the west
have feared migration of vast Russian
emigrants would overrun the coun-
tries like a plague in their panic OF
fear and suffering.
Riga will become the center of dis
tribution of American relief Word
! from that city said that Russian con-
ditionS were so appalling that they
could not be adequately described.
| An epidemic of insanity is sweeping
| some of the plague spots. The ply
sicians who have been sent to the
worst district by Maxim Gorky's COM
mittee have been unable to accom-
| plish much. -.
The city of Tambow has been
sacked by hunger -maddened mobs.
Cavalry was attacked. and their horses
taken for food.
Parents Desert Children.
! In the Samara district where
, cholera is mounting steadily, the for
saken villages and the highways are
filled with panic stricken children
| who have been deserted by their pa
! rents in the nightmare of horror.
The young children are dying on every
hand. Their wasted little bodies.
barely clothed within the limits of de-
cency. lie along the highways and in
the fields.
Everything that bears flesh is being
eaten. Cats, dogs. rats, wild animals
of every description, are utilized as
food. Grass and weeds are cooked
into soup. The towns. and villages are
squalid with filth. All sanitary ar
rangements have collapsed.
The Lokal Anzeiger prints an un-
confirmed dispatch from Petrograd
that the government is organizing
every member of the communist party
into a relief worker.
Push American Relief.
Washington, Aug. 2.-American re-
~ lo
made possible without delay by COM
plete acQuiescence of the soviet au-
, thorities in all conditions which may
be prescribed by this governments
representatives, it was expected in Of
ficial circles today
The tone of the soviet's communi-
cation to Secretary Hoover made it
evident that the authorities Will give
guarantees for the safety of American
relief workers and that they will in
terfere in no way with control or dis
tribution of relief supplies sent into
western Russia.
Expect Little Delay.
Under instruction from Secretary
Hoover. Walter L. Brown, director in
Europe of the American relief admin
istration, today was en- route to Riga
to open negotiations with soviet rep
resentatives on the conditions for ad-
ministering the Russian relief pro-
gram. He, is expected at Riga within
few days, and If by that time all
American prisoners are released and
; outside Russian territory, officials
here believe nothing will arise to de-
lay inauguration of the relief plan.
Meanwhile. officials of the Amerf-
can relief administration were prepar-
ing to carry out the relief project
which will involve spending about ST.
900 a month to care for one mil
lion children and adult invalids.