The Washington herald., 1921-09-24

Enough on Hand to Feed
$4,000 Children for
Month. :.
FAMINE TAKES
IT'S DAILY TOLL
little Uncle" Affection
ate Term Applied to
Relief Officials.
Especial Gable to The Washington Herald
and Chicago Tribune.)
BY FLOYD GIBBONS.

KAZAN. Russia. Sept. 23.-Ameri-
can food has actually reached the
land of the starving. The flrsr
American Relief Administration
train, with 240 tons of chow. pulled
into the station here last night.
This morning the seals on the cars
were broken and the SUPPLIES were
brought to a building in the city
where the first distribution will
take place Monday noon.
American speed. determination
and generosity have brought relief
to the famished thousands less
than a month after the signing Of
the Riga agreement. -.
Here in the capital of the Tartar
republic, where the mosques OF
Mohamet and the churches of
Christ bear crescents and crosses
opposite to one another. the famine
daily is reading off its toll. Starv-
ing children are seen on the streets
and old men totter through the
markets begging for a crust of
black bread. which is selling for
1000 roubles a pound.
Death Of Old Man.
sa wone old man lying on the
ground with a sheepskin thrown
over his head.
He has just died" explained an
old woman nearby. who was SELL
ing hot meal mush out of an
earthenware pot Ten feet away
public BARRIERS were cutting hair
and shaving faces and pates all in
the open. The presence of death
did not disturb the bartering
haggling sand general activity of
the market. 3
There were many refugees on the
edge of the town, but none was
permitted in the railroad yards
save those who were leaving by
train or who were waiting for
someone. There are two concen-
tration camps in which 400 refu-
gees are living on the wind-swept
river banks on the edge of town
awaiting evacuation or death. AZ
though conditions undeniably are
bad at Kazan. they do not appear
to be so bad as in Samara and
points down the river.
When Food Came.
"Diaduska" is the name which
thc Cdlltu oul "
the newly arrived Americans.
American Relief Administration
cars with Russian signs on their
sides carried news of their pres
ence and purpose and this infor-
nation spread like wild fire. A
small crowd gathered at the Krem-
lin at noon when Verno Kellogg
and other American officials pre-
sented themselves before NJ. Mukh-
taroff. the prime minister of the
republic.
The Americans Immediately were
taken p the girls gymnasium, a
big building on the principal street,
which is now occupied by 400 un-
dernourished children who are be-
ing detained there. on a small ra-
tion. until they can be moved.
There the Americans found them.
sitting cross-legged, Turk-wise in
tailor fashion. on the floors in the
big rooms with their backs to the
walls, looking like little heather
idols.
Meals for $4,000.
'Diaduska" is an affectionate di-
minutive meaning little uncle. :"
which the kids called the American
Relief Administration officials when
they learned the Americans were
coming to give them food.
The Americans inspected and in
stalled the kitchens and personally
filed the empty larders with Amer
lean cocoa, flour, beans, rice and
sugar. which will be issued at noon
tomorrow. Enough food has al
ready been. detrained here to feed
$4,000 children for one month.
Copyright, 192l,)