The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-08-20
AGREE UPON
FAMINE AID
FOR RUSSIA
u. S. and Soviet Officials
Sign Pact-Wo orkers
Face Big Task.

| Riga, LetVla, aug. 20.-(By Inc
Associated Press. 1.-The agreement
between the United States and Rus
sia providing fer, American relief
! for the famine stricken districts of
| Russia providing for American re-
| lief for the famine stricken districts
of Russia, was signed at 11:30
o'clock this morning by Walter
| Lyman Brown, European represen-
tative of the American relief admin
| istration and Maxim Litvinoff, rep
resentative of the Russian famine
committee.
Hope that the signing of the
agreement would lead to further re-
lations between Russia and Amer
lea was expressed in speeches made
by NJ Litvinoff and NJ Meiroyitz, the
Letvian premier.
Mr.. Brown confined his remarks
to formal words of thanks and the
expression of the hope that the
agreement would result in the saw
ing of lives.
Russia is by the terms of the
/ contract, made the beneficiary of a
far-reaching program, which in
cludes not only providing food for
the people of the famine stricken
Volga region, but the combating of
epidemics. The task of preventing
the outbreak of contagious diseases
among the fugitive thousands who
have fled from their homes, is con-
sldered great. Cholera ha sappear-
ed in various districts, and there is
in many places, danger of epidemic
such as have swept away myraids
victims and reached distant parts of
the continent.
1t is understood that orders have
already gone TO Hamburg, Danzig
and New York, directing that relief
ships be loaded with food and medi-
cines for Russia. Actual work in
Russia may commence in a little
more than a week.
American Rights
Political and commercial activi-
ties will be outside the realm of the
workers duties, and any violation
of this clause of the agreement may
be cause for expulsion from Rus
STA, on proofs being submitted to the
directors of the relief work All
Americans engaged in feeding and
caring for the famine sufferers, will
enjoy diplomatic rights.
The relief shipments will be
transported free OF charge to
points selected by the Americans,
who will have absolute control of
distribution. 1t is the plan to re-
strict relief measures to those who
are in actual distress and to pre-
vent government employees and men
in the army and navy from coming
into possession of supplies.
The Russian famine committee
will cooperate with the American
relief administration and the Ameri-
cans will not operate in districts
where the Russians are able to pro-
vide rations. Race, creed and DO
litical status will be forgotten and
reports of the work being done will
be given to the world without inter
ference by the soviet government.
Observers here have declared the
agreement confers on the American
relief administration rights and
favors as never before granted any
foreign organization by a Russian
government.
Names Carroll.
Philip Carroll of Portland, Ore,
will temporarily head the work of
feeding the starving people of Rus
sia, a task the American relief ad-
ministration considers the greatest
it has yet faced. Walter L. Brown,
European director of the admins
tration, announced today that Mr
Carroll would lead the first party
of relief workers, which probably
will leave here for Moscow on
Thursday next. Mr. Carroll, who
has been with the administration
two years, made an excellent rec
ord by his work in Germany, South
Russia and Serbia.
The other members Of the first
party will include John P. Griggs
of Portland, who has had expert
ence with the relief administration
in Poland, Lithuania; E. G. Nur-
land OF California, who comes from
a post in Austria; Carlton G. Bow
den. a Rhodes scholar who was
with the first American relief work
ers in Belgium and who later was
in Hungary, and VIII G. Shaffrons
of Denver, who has worked for the
relief administration in Poland and
Czecho-Slovakia-
Mr.. Brown will return to London
with his secretary, leaving to Cap
tain John Miller, head Of the relief
administration in the Baltic states,
the remainder of the task of hand
ling the big Riga base.
0Ipr Of DANGER