New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-08-02
Ready to Deliver Food i'm
2 Weeks if Reds Com
ply Quickly With Prom
ise to Free Americans
Agent Ordered to
Proceed to Riga
Announces No Drive Will
Be Needed; Undertaking
Is Purely Humanitarian
From The Tribune's Washington Bureau

From The Tribune's Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, Aug. 1.-Secretary
OF Commerce Hoover to-day set in mo-
ton the machinery for aiding the
starving hordes in Russia. Acting as
head of the American Relief Admin
lstratlon, he ordered Walter LYMAN
Brown. European director of the re-
llef administration, to proceed immedi-
ately from London to Riga to begin
the preliminaries of getting food into
Russia. 1t was made plain that the
United States would insist on implicit
obedience by the Soviet authorities of
the American demand that all Ameri-
cans held prisoner in Russia be set
free before aid is furnished.
Mr.. Hoovers cablegram to Mr.. Brown
said:
AS to cable forwarded through you
from Mr.. Gorky of July %, would be
glad if you would proceed at once to
Riga. 1t is, of course. to be assumed
that the prisoners will have been de-
ilvered out C Russia as demanded by
the State Department before you omen
discussions. You will recognize that
such course is the most primary evil
dence of willingness to assure life and
liberty of our staff You will please
advise Messrs. Gorky and Kamenetf."
An Answer to Gorky
This message was in effect an answer
to the message of Gorkv and Kameneff
accepting the American conditions for
relief
The feeding of the 1000 900 famine
stricken Russian children and invalids
can be speedily undertaken, once the
American prisoners are out of Rus
sia, and it will not necessitate a new
drive for funds, declared Mr.. Hoover.
The relief administration, he said, now
has a cash surplus in reserve, and un-
less the needs Of other parts of Europe
during the coming winter make too
heavy. demands, he indicated, it will
be able to finance its work for an in
definite time.
Secretary Hoover would not discuss
such questions as whether the accept
ance of the Soviets indicates a relaxa-
tion of tieir policies. He would not
care, he said, to inject such dis
cussion into difficult negotiations.
The relief administration now has
supplies at Danzig and could move them
into the more readily accessible parts
of Russia within two weeks after the
release of the Americans, he estimated.
Some of the other American relief or
CARNATIONS are expected to cooperate
and possibly a few similar bodies IN
Europe.
Cost S1,200,000 a Month.
Mr.. Hoover said he has no idea of
how long the relief work would have
to be continued, for it would depend
on number of factors, including the
rate of recuperation and harvests. The
cost of caring for 100000 Russian
children is variously placed at between
81, 1,250,000 and $1,500,0O0 a month
Some of the reports of conditions in
Russia must be discredited, he pointed
out, for some have the color of prop
thy and through that establish a CON
nection With this government.
That relief measures for stricken
Russians are entirely unofficial and do
not affect the diplomatic status of the
Soviet government, which has no status
at ali, was made clear to-day by the
State Department.
A high Administration official, in
commenting on the results of Secre-
tary Hoover's proposal to provide re-
lief if American prisoners held by the
Soviet are seen safely over the from
tier, indicated that the situation is un-
changed "except from bad to worse
1t was indicated that in SO far as carry
ing on commerce with Russia is con-
cerned, there is no difficulty in the way
of trade except that there is nothing
to trade with. There is a complete alb
sence Of any proper basis in Russia
to-day on which to do business, se-
coIding to information at the command
of the State Department.
1t is felt further that with the situa.
Continued paoe three)