The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-09-06
IN LAND OF DEATH
Terrible Conditions Prevail in
Famished Russia.
Women Abandon Babies on
r. r. Station DOorsteps.
RELIEF TRAIN is ON WAY
Every Mile Means a Thousand
Lives or Deaths.
Many Victims Are Too Weak to
Raise Hands for Food.
BY ANNA LOUISE STRONG.

BY ANNA LOUISE STRONG.
Special Correspondence of the International
Copyright, 1921, BY the International News
Service.)
En- Route From Moscow to Samara,
Sept. 2 (By courier to Moscow, by
radio to Berlin and by cable to New
York via London, Sept. 6.)-The train
which I am travelling to soviet Russia s
death district-Samara-i a combined
hospital and kitchen on wheels.
1t contains food cars, kitchen cars
and d dispensary car. a waiting room
for patients, staff quarters, bake
house, a kitchen, a bath and laun-
dry, all large enough to accommod
1000 children.
For 1t is primarily to the children
that the relief workers are devoting
their initial labors. Altogether 10000
of emaciated little ones must be re-
moved at once from the pest-infesteo
region. In Samara city alone, there
their parents. In another district,
there are 100000, of whom $4,000
are between Z and 16.
Women Abandon Babies.
Does it make your blood freeze In
vour veins to read that mothers leave
their children on the door steps OF
railroad stations with the words, rake
them, we don't want them ?" Does II
make YOU shudder with horror at such
Cruelty"
Listen, To call these unfortunate
women "crueI" is a slur on mother
hood and mockery of their sufferlngs'
The mothers who do that do II De-
cause they can bear no longer 10 see
their little ones stare at them with
questioning, accusing eyes; because
they can no longer listen to the rasp-
ing, hunger hoarse voices begging
food; because they can no longer STAND
the main of babes clutching and tear
ing and Juggling at their haggard
breasts-because they have not the
strength to hold them any longer.
Some one. any one else, they think,
can. must will do more for these tots
than they can.
Peasants Share Food. e.
The train on which we are rolling
thru the barren steppes filled with
refugees is drawn by a German loco
motive one of the gifts received since
the world began to realize Russia S
plight. 1t carries bread donated by
peasants who have been blessed with
a far harvest and who give all their
surplus to the sufferers. Food fats
and beans donated by the American
Society of Friends make up the bal
ance of the rations.
We roll along slowly, oh, so slowly,
when every mile gained or lost means
probably a thousand lives or deaths.
The news of our coming travels ahead
of us, first by telegraph then by cour-
Ter.
It is a thrilling thought that we
represent to those millions of suffer
ing humans the answer to their pray
ers and an infinitely sad second
thought that-because of the world
blockade-we will be too late for in
Vulnerable victims.
Too Weak to Take Food.
A doctor who has been out there in
death land and who is going back on
this train, told me of the terrible sights
he saw.
Hunger of that kind, you under
stand, is so depressing. so weakening
that If you let a piece of food fall to
the ground in the midst of such a
group Of human corpses who have had
nothing to eat but ground roots, they
just stare at it with distended eyes
but they do not move. Perhaps one
or two will family lift a hand--an I'M
speakable gesture of despair, for II
has scarcely been lifted when it drops
back, limp and life1ess. They are toe
weak, you see, even to grasp the thing
that will soothe their gnawing pair
and perhaps save their lives.
But the most pitiable of all sights
is that of mothers trying to nurse theiI
children-trying, you understand, fol-
that's ALL"