New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-09-08
Nothing Left for Us but to
Die, Declare Starving
Peasants Huddled at the
Rail Station at Samara
Mothers Killing
Little Children
Correspondent Describes
the Horrifying Scenes
Along Banks of Volga
By c. f. Behhofer

MOSCOW, Sept. IL have lust re-
turned from my first trip through The
Volga provinces affected by the famine.
The famine, which this year has ove--
taken from fifteen to twenty of Tho
usually richest corn growing provinces
OF Russia, probably is the greatest
catastrophe of it's kind that has ever
befallen European country. Not less
than 35,000,000 persons are immedi-
ately affected by the failure of the
crops, and indirectly the results con-
Germ still greater humber.
Only personal visit to the stricken
area can bring home the horrible pos;-
tlon OF the sufferers and the vastness of
the problems with which Russia and
the whole world are faced as result. IT
is my opinion that, unless some
extraordinary international effort is
made to relieve the famine areas. sew
eral million men, women and children
may die this winter and that next wear
epidemics of typhus and cholera nav
spread half way across the world. moth
INTO western Europe and Asia.
In Heart of Famine District
The provinces most seriously af-
fected by the famine are Samara. Sir.
blrsk, Saratov Astrakhan, Usa. Viatka
kazan and the German colonies on the
Nolga.
My journey took in section of the
hunger front which may be said to
represent the average situation
throughout the stricken regions. / was
In the town of Samara, and thence tra-
versed the Volga River by steamer,
touching at various points. In order
to gather information not only rom
villages and towns lying near the rail
ways, which are rather more favorably
situated, drove to villages in the
heart of the country, where conditions
are the worst
Samara is Russian provincial town
OF the usual type, lying on the left
bank Of the Volga. Its Importance is
largely due to the fact that besides
being the capital it is usually the
most fertile grain province in Russia
and is the junction of the Chely
abinsk Railway, the Tashkend Railway
and the Volga.
Samara now partakes very much of
the shabblness and dilapidation char
acteristic of Bolshevik towns. The
buildings are in various stages of
neglect, with broken windows. gaping
roofs and doors falling from the
hinges. The streets are dirty and
malodorous, and the cobbled roadways
and pavements show that no repairs
have been made in several years.
Refugees Camp Like Gypsies
The regular. inhabitants slouch about
their affairs in shabby tattered gar
ments, which are often the incongruous
remnants of several different suits of
happier times. Hats and shoes are a
study in assortments. Their faces
have the gloom and hopelessness that
has become general inside of Russia.
Their eyes are downcast and shoulders
bent. And now coming into their ewes
is the hungry look of the starving
Yet they are not the real sufferers as
yet. For sheer misery one must go
and lock at the numerous groups of
refugees from country villages that
have gathered with their few belong
ings in the open space near the raj
way station.
They are camping there like gypsies.
An old cart is the most solid part of
their habitations-a few torn strips
of cloth stretched out from its sides
to form meager shelter for the un-
loltuHaIeS. An aged peasant, whose
head rests against the cartwheel, is
staring with CLASSY eyes at the rest
of his folk, his whole frame enact
ated and his cheekbones projecting
His wife, as thin as himself, is trying
to nurse a baby, who is crying for
want of food
Other children sit around in the
same posture of detection, the terrible
signs of famine visible on their bodies
and features. There they remain day
after day. The men cannot work be-
cause there is nothing to do and no
pay or food. For the most part they
are past work, SO great is their physi
cal weakness as a result of the long
months of slow starvation.
Nothing Left but to Die
1t must be remembered that last
years harvest was very poor in these
parts, though OF course, not nearly as
bad as the present unprecedented fail
ure. These refugees are now in des-
perate plight. When they left the viii
lage they had one last surviving horse
and drag cart in which were packed
their few chattels, but now they have
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