Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1921-02-03
RUSSIA STARVING
UNDER RED RULE.
Says 20, 100000 Suffer Hunger
Through MisruIe.
FAMINE GRIPS COUNTRY
Conservative Elements Discussing
Democracy at Conference in

caflS.
kNew York. The veil, which
FOR many months has completely hid
den conditions in Russia, due to the
action OF soviet leaders in barring
visitors from the rest of he world, is
being withdrawn a little by the con-
ference now in session in Paris of the
= AH-Russian constituent assembly.
the prominent exiled Russians. who
opposed the rule of Lenine and Trot
1ky, are now submerging their differ
eaces in an effort to present united
front against Bolsevism They are
disclosing, in Paris, reports from as
sociates still in Russia picturing CON
dftions imagined in part, but not before
clearly presented to the world which
has wondered what was going on I'M
der the greatest of all communist ex-
periments.
These reports are being received by
cable by A. t. Sack, director of the
Russian information bureau. who is
the authorized spokesman in this coun-
Try of all the Russian elements opposed
- ~ A'bbfShSaicAl fllGnNlllS lJl6 I1TlS con-
ference.
Thirteen million people have be-
gun to suffer acute starvation this
January" he said, land seven million
already started 10 hunger in December
Of the past year"
On the basis of the data he has sub
United, he declares on behalf of his as
sociates, that the downfall of the Boil
shevism is inevitable. The two WAYS
which open before Russia after this
event has taken place. he says, are that
Russia will either submerge into an
arcby, which means lengthy political
and economic crisis for all Europe and
the rest of the world, or she will begin
10 recuperate politically and economi-
Cally, thus opening the possibility for
the entire world to return to normal
political and economic conditions"
"The Importance of the Paris con-
ference" he added, "is in that it lays
the foundation for the unity of the
Russian democratic forces which will
have to replace the Bolsheviki and
lead their country to recuperation, and
secures for them sympathy and active
cooperation of the entire democratic
wcrld."
i. is significant" the statement says,
that for the first time since the Boil
sheviki came into power in November,
1917, all the democratic forces in Rus
STA have united on one platform, which
is the defense of popular ule and civil
liberties. gained through the March
revolution of 1917, against the Red
counter-revolution of Bolshevism which
destroyed all liberty in Russia and
substituted a new Red autocracy in
place of the recent autocracy of the
cars rule.
"The purpose of the Paris conference
is to devise ways and means for the
defense of the honor, the self-respect
and patrimony of Russia before the
peoples of the entire world until such
time when the peoples of Russia, by
Their own action and free will, will
restore a legally constituted Russian
government
"At present, when the European la
hOr and Socialist leaders have to
choose between supporting Bolshevism,
on the one hand, or the recuperating
forces of the Russian democracy on
the other, they are naturally inclined
to support democracy against Bolshe
vism.
ut may also be added that the vigor
with which Lenine treated all labor
and Socialist leaders of Eurona who
did not subscribe to 100 per cent Boil
shevism, branding them as traitors of
the working class servants of the
bourgeoise,' contributed greatly to the
new orientation of the European labor
and Socialist elements in the Russian
problem The majority Of the Euro
pean labor stands now ready to support
the Russian democracy in its struggle
against Bolshevism as actively as il
was opposed to the policy of military
intervention.
"This winter not only the Russian
cities and towns, but the Russian vii
lagos as well are going through the tor
ments of starvation. This is due moi
only to the decreased area of land
under cultivation, but also to fatal
crop failure In ten central provinces
of Russia. According TO 2ravda, there
are six provinces (ViteDsk, Kaluga
Orel. Riazin, Nisni-Novgorod and
PERM where only so per cent of the
minimum of required grains have beer
harvested. while in four provinces
/. gig