Omaha daily bee., 1921-08-16
Famine Horrors
In Russia Told by
Many Refugees
First Actual Witnesses Tell
Of Revolving Conditions I'm
der Soviet Rule-Dis.
eases Ravage Homes.
By DONALD S. DAY.

Riga, Aug. l5.--From the heart Of
the famine district, the city of Sar-
atoff, on the Volga, trainload of
} Latvian refugees crossed the Latvian
border yesterday. They were the
first unbiased actual witnesses of the
famine conditions to arrive on this
frontier.
There was not one happy face
among the 200 arrivals, despite the
fact they were returning to homes
they had abandoned when Germany
captured this territory in 1918.
Women and children far outnum-
bered men. The reason for this was
disclosed by the weeping women,
who told OF the foodless journey, the
long stops and sudden starts of the
train. which resulted in half the men
being left behind, scattered across
Russia from Saratoff to Ryejitsa,
Latvia.
Deaths Common On Train.
Deaths on the train as a result OF
cholera, malaria and starvation were
a daily occurrence. Many families
also were left behind, preferring to
stay in Russia and properly there to
bury their dead rather than to turn
the corpses over to the soviet for
huge common graves now dug daily
in every Russian graveyard.
Mrs. Valley Feldbach, native OF
Riga, who succeeded in bringing an
invalid husband, construction en-
ginecr and two children, William
end Alma, IS and II, respectively,
from Saratoff, tells Of the horrors
Undergone by the party in mono
tone, her voice leaden with misery
Bandit Bands Active.
I'VE lived at Rovno on the Volga,
about 90 miles from Saratoff," Mrs.
Feldbach said. "On May IS all
were notified that on June 2 a ref
ugee train would start from Sara
toff carrying US to Latvia. We
packed our belongings j., peasant
cart and started up the Volga bank
for Saratof. Even peasants were
migrating up the Volga and from
all other directions toward the city.
Bands of bandits were securing
the country, robbing and firing
abandoned homes. One could look
in any direction across the plains
and see pillars OF smoke arising
from the ruins. The reason the
peasants are migrating is that conf
nunist bands preceded the bandits
gathering the so-called produce tax,
taking the last remaining bushel of
grain, including seed.
"As we neared Saratoff the scenes
grew more horrible. We saw hun
dreds of peasant families returning
to their ruined homes to die, hav-
ing appealed to the soviet in vain for
food. We passed whole families dead
in their homes.
"The soviet government reports
the peasants are abandoning their
children. This is not true. 1t is
correct that some parents turn over
their children to the state, which |
promises to care for them and does
mot. Others throw their children
into the Volga, prefcrring to see
them drown rather than be brought
TIP in the communist faith, which
they believe is an anti Christ doc
trine.
Many Cholera Deaths.
"At Saratoff we awaited train
which did not arrive until month
later. While there bread climbed
from 5000 to 5000 roubles a pound.
A number of us died of cholera. The
city averaged 500 cases daily, halt
of them dying. Many more who
were too i'll refused to register, fear
ing they would be brought to the
barracks. which was certain death.
"Old garbage cars collected the
dead daily, as they used to collect
garbage. During our stay We saw
many cases of bubonic plague in the
streets. This never was mentioned
by the soviet press, the officials at
tempting to keep knowledge of this
plague from the public.
Finally we were called to the
railroad station. None had extra
food. so when the train remained
all day at the station the men en-
tered the city, continuing to search
Tor bread. Suddenly without signal
OF any kind, the train started, leav-
ing 81 men behind, the majority hav-
ing families. A few caught up with
the train at the next step, for the
train stopped IL hours when it did
stop. This situation was duplicated
time and again"