The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-12-24
FOURTH ANNIVERSARY
OF SOVIET REPUBLIC
! FINDS VILLAGE SAD
(By Associated Press)

(By Associated Prcss)
LUDOGOVkA, Tartar Republic, Dec.
24.-The fourth anniversary of the es-
adjustment OF the soviet republic In
Russia found this peasant village of
600 in no mood for celebrating Food
less and cherries, the starving popu-
. lation could hays no heart for any
. sort OF 1ubilation, even If it knew what
, the political manue vers at Moscow
: mean Like most Russian peasants.
the unhappy flocks of Ludogovka have
neither the learning nor the will to
study politics. Bread, wood and warm
clothing are their three desires. They
haven't enough of any Of these.
Winter has laid its first heavy coat
ing OF snow on the fat prairies. and
the peasants have started, grim-faced,
on their endurance test to see how
many can survive the six months of cold
and priyation. Many of the younger
children have been deemed so COM
pletely underfed by the doctors in
the employ of the American relief ad-
ministration that they will be given
one good hot meal day.
Typical Village
Ludogovka is typical peasant vii
1age of the poorer class. II is so miles
from Kazan and many miles from the
Volga and railway communication. I'm
painted log houses are scattered along
a main street. The houses generally
have two rooms. Some have three
Frequently the animal sheds are built
against the houses for warmth. Many
of the stables are at the back end of
long vegetable gardens, which yielded
few potatoes and cabbages this year
because of the drought. The stables
are chiefly deserted. There is no fro
age. no grain for teh animals, which
have survived up to this time on the
dry stubble which will son be under
several feet of snow.
Russia doesn't have billiards such
as are known in America. In late
October or early November the SHOWS
begin and continue gently nearly every
day until the earth is covered to a
depth of three or four feet.
This winter will not bring its Gus
tomary round of winter sports and
recreations. There are no horses to
draw the troikas and jingle the bells
which ordinarily enliven Russian high
ways through the short days and long
nights of frsot.
Typical Home
llt HOllt Vi ivan lNdNONlCl HGITOlI
is typical of the most poverty-stricken
houses visited by the correspondent.
Petrof is farmer, as practically all
the villagers are. He has the use of
several dissiatines of land, more than
he was able to cultivate because of
lack of animals and seed. He had once
been a sturdy giant. over six feet tall.
But his ragged trousers show his legs
have shrunken to mere bones and his
scraggly beard can not conceal the
emaciation and sallowness of his face
His wife is lying i'll above a large
masonry stove. A gangling, hollow
eyed boy of Is stands listlessly and
gapes at the strangers. A little girl
of s. who is getting the American
meals. and two others, slightly older,
who were not designated for the for
eign food, stand near their mother
The furnishings of the room are
almost nil. 1t has the smell of poverty
and neglect. In good seasons Russian
peasant houses are seldom clean They
are never ventilated. But the smell
Of cabbage soup and tea make them
selves offensive in normal years.
Points to Bread
When asked what the family had to
eat Petroff pointed to two loaves oil
green bread which lay on the stove
and said there had been nothing else
Tor his family in ten days. He threw
open an adjoining room and pointed tc
pile of the improvised -four" out OIL
which the bread was made. It was
nothing but ground up grass, leaves
sunflower seed and other trash of {
similar character.
THE visitors offered him money. He
took it unwillingiy and asked: 'Bu
what shall l do with it? There /:
nothing to buy in this village and
can't go in search of food. Neithe
can my family"
One of the American relief workers
thereupon offered to buy some -four il
asvillage many miles away. Through
out the remote villages of the Tarta
republic and the Samara government
American workers have found TIL