The Washington herald., 1921-08-03
Reports to Hoover Show
Economic Plight of
Russian People.
FAMINE CONDITIONS
IN VOLGA VALLEY
Few Provinces Produce
Surplus Available to
Starving.

Conditions In Impoverished hus@
which the United States is preparing
to alleviate unofficially through the
American Relief organization in Eu-
rope. nave been brought about ac-
cording to careful investigation con-
Quoted by the Department OF Com
merce. through the complete collapse
Of industry and production under the
Soviet regime.
Russia's economic collapse, ac-
cording to reliable reports to secre-
tary Hoover, who, as head OF the
American Relief forces, is under
taking to aid the starving people OF
that country is traced primarily to
the fact that industry there has de-
creased 80 per cent as compared TO
the prewar period.
Reports from reliable sources to
Mr.. Hoover shoy in striking figures
Russia's economic plight.
Produetion Greatly Reduced.
Industrial production during the
year 1920 in percentages compared
Pig iron, 2 per cent; copper ore,
O.6 per cent; iron ore per cent;
manganese ore, 2.6 per cent; salt, is
per cent; rubber industry, per
cent; watch industry, Is per cent;
paper industry. 20 per cent; sugar
industry, 5 per cent; printing, Is
per cent; production of coal, 20 per
cent: cotton spindles operating,
per cent: wooden cloth, per cent
Before undertaking to reply to
Maxim Gorky's appeal for relief to
the starving russians, Mr.. Hoover
look occasion to inquire closely into
actual conditions and reports re-
ceIved indicate that the most acute
famine area covers the Volga Valley
from the Caspian Sea northward.
The drought in this area would not
be of such fatal character but for
.he general decadence of agriculture
reduction of surplus in other re-
yions and in the decay Of transpor-
iation, rendering most difficult the
movement of such local surnluses as
DO still exist ~
Smaller Areas Cultivated.
Examples of reports from the
I drougfr area shows the province of
SSamara sowing this spring only 5S
kst year. In the province of kaZan.
b 900 acres usually cultivated were
hot sown at all. To the west Of the
kolga Valley less than 50 per cent
Ysf the arabic territory in the prov
Lsce of Orel was sown, and in the
province Of Tula only 20 to IS per
| sent of the necessary seed for SOW
Ing was available
Overriding such local situations
there has been a steady decline in
AGRICULTURAL production ever since
8the revolution owing to the lack Of
Incentive to farmers to provide for
more than their own needs, to the
shortage~ of seed and shortage Of
Implements. The urban population
5has produced little to offer in ex-
change and the currency reprecia-
ktion through the increase of cur
tency issues to over 1000, 900 900 of
troubles has rendered their accumu-
&Iation no attraction. From these
ycauses Russia, before even last
years harvest had declined from a
state producing from 100000 to
10000. 900 tons of food for export to
| a condition where there was such an
Insufficient supply of food for the
.ities that the urban population has
been reduced by about one half.
Grain Crops Much Smaller.
An indication of diminished grain
crops in 1921 is offered by the guam
tites estimated to be requisitioned
as taxes by the Soviet government.
| The total amount for all Soviet Rus
. sia, except the Ukraine and Turk
estan, is 100000 tons of grain. as
| against 7,6l4,0O0 tons in 1920. The
| potatoes estimated to be requisi-
toned this year amount to 1,0S0,OOO
tons as compared with 2.016,0O0 tons
N 1920: 2l6,000 tons of all seeds are
to be requisitioned INSTEAD of 432,-
boo tons in 1890. The number OF
provinces where any surplus Is in
dicated for removal to other prov
lnces appears to have decreased
from over twenty prewar to not
more than four.
There has been such deterioration
of transportation that there is doubt
as to ability to move the local sur
pluses that do exist in the richer
grain producing provinces in Siberia
and the south to those areas which