Omaha daily bee., 1921-08-26
Head of American
Near East Relief
! Arrives at Riga
Workers Describe Huge Task
Facing Organizations in
Famine-Stricken Districts
OF Russia.
Bv AMBROSE LAMBERT.

Riga, Aug. 25,-Albert A. John
son of Farmingdale, N. Y, chairman
of the American Near East and Cau-
casian Relief commission, his col
leagues Paxton Hbben of Indianap-
oils, John Voorhies of New York
and Frank Connex, an interpreter,
have just arrived from Moscow after
having crossed Russia from the
south. They painted an almost in
describable picture of conditions in
the famine areas which they visited
and told of the herculean tasks nee
essary to adequately relieve Russia.
Mr.. Johnson and his aids left Tiflis
on August l6, reaching Moscow via
Petrovsk, Vladikavkaz, Rostof and
Kozlof. They were overwhelmed
with the extent of the danger attend
ing the emigration of the people
from the 10 stricken Volga prov
inces. They said that it was doubt
ful whether the authorities would be
able to control the situation.
They say that 100000 persons have
left the Simbirsk and Samara dis
tricts and the province of Sartof has
been transformed into huge con-
centration camp for the refugees
from the upper Volga.
Leave All Possessions.
The plight of the refugees is ter
rible. They have parted with every
possession they own and have been
reduced to eating horses and other
animals. Literally millions are taking
part i'll the exodus, leaving their
homes under stress of indescribable
hunger and moving westward by any
and every available means of trans
portation.
Meals gown.
The refugees are willing to endure
any hardships and risk in order to
escape. They travel in box cars
packed to sufocation and fight like
maniacs to secure places on the
roofs or trucks of the cars. Along
the railways and in the stations,
thousands are herded in enclosures,
being refused admission to many
towns and cities owing to the in
ability of the authorities to provide
food.
1t is the opinion of Mr.. Johnson
and his colleagues, that all of west
ern Russia is faced with similar
menace, carrying with it the gravest
consequences to civilization, if not
actually making its foundation tot
ter. 1t is the opinion of the COM
mission that immediate steps are i'm
perative to induce the fleeing families
to return to their homes and resume
agriculture. Those to whom men,
bers of the commission spoke ex-
pressed their willingness to return
to their abodes if they were guar
anteed sufficient food to maintain
them during the winter and were
given seed grain for planting i'll the
spring.
Problem Two.
The problem strikes the commits
sion as being two-fold. The first
problem is to supply the minimum
amount of foodstuffs to prevent the
creation of an immense refugee
problem in Russia, which is likely
to engulf western Europe. The
second is to locaize food distribution
so as to compel the refugees to re-
turn to their homes. They point out
that merely feeding the children does
rot touch either of these difficult
ties.
They suggest Rostov as the main
base for distribution in the stricken
area, with field base at Tzaritzin,
where supplies could be shipped via
the Volga. Subcenters are suggested
for similar work at KAN and Sa-
mara. At Rostov there are loops of
two railways. 1t is suggested that
lao miles of these loops could be
used, having one for loaded cars
md the other for empties, thus max
t possible to handle three trains,
Zach carrying 500 tons daily.
In addition, it is suggested that
he Don river be used while Novor-
ssiik would be available as a sup
base. They say speed is
necessary, as the Volga will be froz-
N up by the middle of December
ind food must be delivered before