The Washington times., 1921-12-18
By SIR PHILIP GIBBS
(The Famous British War C0rrespdndenD s#
n Riga and Helsgfs and Other Places Near the Russian Frontier
There Are Factories Of Lies and the Liars Are Busy with the Cables
HE Saws in Commenting on the Truth About Russia.

for famine relief both BY Britisn
and American societies has reached
the famine areas intact without any
robbery and with the ssalous assist
ance OF Soviet authorities. The
American relief people are sending
1900 tons week. which 10 sufficient
to feed nearly 1000, 900 children. and
they have no kind Of theft or out
rage to report. The truth II that
Russians. whatever their political
position or creed inside Soviet Rus
sia. are desperately engaged in
fighting the famine down South and
welcome every ton NJ food that
comes in az an act 4 grace that may
help to save the liveA of their strick.
en- folk. For only they know the
depth and breadth Of the tragedy
that has befallen those millions of
peasant folk who now find winter
creeping UPON them. and with it for
many Of them-for at least 1000, 900
Of them-insvitable death.
There has been exaSgeration, II
IL true. by journalists writing from
Russia but not from first hand
knowledge. That was inevitable
owing to the vast size Of Russia and
to the habits Of Russian peasants,
to whom rumor from far villages
comes with panic tongues. It -
not true that twenty-five million
people began to move In mad plight
from their unfruitful lands: only
some hundreds OF thousands fled
like that in search Of food and
many Of these were Let's and Poles
who had retreated into Russia b.
fore advancing tides Of war, when
German armies and afterwards
White armies were on the move.
When famine came thcy struggled
back to their own countries. swarm
ing along roads and railways. starv-
ing and dying from disease. The
survivors were helped on their way
by the Russians, and towns like
Riga are now feeding them In camps.
But now that winter has como
with the first snow, the horror
deepens. For millions there can BE-
no chance Of rescue. and for the
others only the chance that the
charity Of tho world win be quick
and generous, not held hack By
political hatred or cold distrust.
Russia cannot save her own people.
Without outside help they win be
lost. Even the tides Of private
charity flowing into British and
American relief missions do but
touch the frontiers Of the famine
stricken land. The governments of
the world have been slow to recog-
nize their duty to laws higher than
diplomacy-slow and grudging to
vote . few millions for human re-
Lief when they were quick to vote
% many millions for destruction of
the world. Every man and woman
who sits down to q good meal must
b haunted by tho thotkht Of those
RusGian peasants who sit before
empty platters.
DISARMING BOLSHEvISM.
Arc we going to let them dis7
II We do the ghosts Of those mil
lions Of fellow beings viii accuse
US throughout all future history.
and II We have any conscience left
will choke US ~ we eat. The
menace Of Bolshevism to our own
civilization may be disarmed by
generosity. But be that as 1t may,
II u surely the elementary duty Of
the human family to hurry to the
hslp Of those millions VINO BY NO
fault Of theirs have fallen into the
jaws Of famine, which u followed
By pestilenos. From Russia I write
thsss words to Hng1ish speaking folk
On behalf Of man and wumsn and
uttls children whose cries fer help
grow weak and are noe heard.