New-York tribune., 1921-09-13
Russian Relief
Imperiled as
Transport Fails
Hungry Workers on Rail-
roads and River Craft
Quit Jobs to Seek Food
Soviet Does Not Provide
Repair Shops Forsaken
Peasant Migration Con-
tinues, but Chaos Makes
| Definite Estimates Futile


copyrisht. 1921, New York Tribune Inc.
MOSCOW, Sept. 12.-The general
chaos in Russia makes it impossible
to eive definite figures regarding the
extent Of the emigration of the peas
ants, from the famine regions. Certain
main facts. however are clear.
When the supply of grain of many
hi the peasants was exhausted this
,spring-the result partly of last years
bad harvest and partly OF Red army
acquisitions - the movement began,
starving villagers or others who were
tsrsghted making their way toward
more fertile districts.
An official estimate given me the
o;ler day by Kamenef. head of the
Moscow Soviet and officially in charge
of famine relief, places the emigration
at two to three hundred thousand.
These figures are purely conjectural
and must be accepted with reserve, as
conditions of Russian transportation
are tso chaotic to permit of exact call
citations. 1t may be taken for granted,
however, that the correct figures are
considerably greater than those given
By KamenefT.
Migration Still Continues
American officials OF the Near East
relief organization who have toured
ahe country from the Caucasus to the
center Of the Nolga region assured me
that enormous migration has taken
place 81 along the route, both last
sring and continuing now
Kameneff told me the population
was contented with the governments
promises TO bring grain to the famine
sones and had ceased to emigrate. but
! discovered that in the Volga towns
the local authorities had forbidden the
inhabitants to move.
1t is almost impossible to travel on
Russian railways nowadays against the
wishes OF the authorities, but peasants
sho have saved a little money or OBJ
tanned it by selling their possessions
often brave or evade the disapproval
of the authorities and leave the sta
tlons packed in between the carriages.
on the trucks or on the engine This
movement now is dying down, however.
becsrss o. lack of money. Most refu-
gees also are coming TO know that no
safe asylum from the famine is longer
available. It is expected, however.
that greatly increased intensity of the
famine this winter will lead to new
outbreaks OF panic-stricken flight.
The other day on pier in the
Volga River | asked peasant where
his friends were going. He answered:
anywhere, everywhere, wherever their
faces are turned" In many villages
the peasants have gone to Siberia,
hoping to find work in the factories
and mines with the intention Of send
ing rsmlttances to their families. In
other cases the whole family has gone.
leaving the land in charge of neighbors,
who are to work it and share in the
proceeds, if there should be any.
Sale of Land Prohibited
Praclama mations by the government
have made it impossible for the peas
ants to sell land, and this has been
an additional bar TO emigration, as the
remaining peasants are now too short
Of horses and too weak to be willing to
undertake the cultivation of their
nslghbors' strips of land. In many
cases, however, the families have gone
on. leaving their homes to their fate
The situation on the railways and
the Volga steamers is critical, owing
primarily 10 the failure of the authori-
lies to provide adequate rations for
and Suizran have complained: How
can we work when we are so hungry? :?
For three or four months we have not
received rations or pay. We have lived
only by selling our possessions, and
we now have come to the end of these.
Unless we are fed we, too, must flee"
Already the railway repair shops at
Suizran have ceased the vitality impor-
sant work of repairing engines and
carriages because part of the workmen
are away in search of food. Other
cases have been reported in south
Russia where the railway workers
Borrowed" an engine, badly needed
Tor other duties, and went off to NOW
their hay up the line. The Bolshevik
papers condemn this as sabotage, but
obviously under present conditions
such Incidents are inevitable.
Rank and File Disorganized
While the higher railway officials are
doggedly sticking to their tasks the
lower ranks are disorganized and are
out seeking their pay and .rations by
'neft and speculation Their specula-
uon consists in going by train INTO
me more fertile districts, buying eggs,
aour and butter and returning to sell it
% wrefugees and the half-s starving towns
lok The same situation holds good
WITH the crews of the river steamers.
t.nose travelling downstream to Astrak-
aah and other southern provinces bring
Oacs salt and other foodstuffs and sell
mem at high prices in the hungrler
u'sIrlets The crews of boats going
..n soHn are deserting by wholesale. Cap
ans, like the station masters. feel that
ne ne situation is beyond their control .
.ne remedy lies in the hands of the
sovernment alone
with characteristic Russian faitars
appreciate the Importance of trans.
Ssrs service, except on paper, the1
.ns aazs failed, or are failing. to devotI
,umcient san,,t food for the upkeep of n.ss
.ssskers- Unless a big improveme ae i
sfnscted immediately the transport ss,~v
~ Nc WI break down entirely and ah,
s,v,sssioiilty of feeding the famine dis
sss VIII become practically hopcA ess
M. s.o1esgn relief workers, of cour; " d,
nsn, rs consider this matter within chef.
5b,'slace' bv ' and besides they are b ounc
;on.cial agreements not to r aliev,
nos. 'si workers, among whom theA trans
' workers presumably are in a, ,l,5aa