New-York tribune., 1921-07-24
Riots Caused by Famine
and Disease Force So
viets for First Time to
Confess s Helplessness
ALI Parties Hold
Emergency Council
Military Revolts Impend
Because Soldiers Lack
Their Supplies of Food
By Joseph Shaplen
By Wireless to The Tribune

Copyright 1921, New York Tribune Ino
BERLIN, July 23.-For the first
time in its history q real panic has
overwhelmed the Moscow Bolshevik
government as it faces a gigantic
famine in Russia, combined with a
severe cholera epidemic , Famine
and cholera riots have already
broken out in many cities and vii
lagos, and are raging on vast scale.
Punitive expeditions of Red troops
have been dispatched to one place
and another in desperate effort to
restore order and control these out
bursts of popular despair.
For the first time in four years. or
since the seizure of the reins of
power in Russia by the Bolsheviki,
the Russians belonging to parties
other than the Bolsheviki are gath
ering at the round table with the Red
leaders to devise ways and means Of
relief.
All Factions Confer
According to wireless message from
Moscow to-day, meeting was held in
the Kremin this morning, attended by
Kameneff, Krassin and Lunacharsky,
representing the Bolsheviki; Kishkin,
Prokopovitch and Kutler, of the cadets;
Vera Figner, Maxim Gorky and the
social worker Kuskova, representing
the Social Revolutionaries, and ZeSt-
zeff and Countess Alexandra Tolstoy, of
/ the Mensheviki
Kameneff, speaking in behalf of tho
Soviet government, promised official CO.
operation in an effort to save millions
from death by starvation and placed
| large sums OF money at the disposal
of an inter-party committee that was
appointed.
Kameneff's declaration is regarded
here as confession Of the helplessness
! of the Moscow government to handle
the situation without the cooperation of
the non-Bolshevik elements in Russia.
According to advices from Moscow,
the central executive of the Soyiets has
postponed its session indefinitely, COM
/
relief work and distributing them TO
different provinces. The Soviet gov
ernment realizes, the reports show, that
unless 1t is able to control the famine
and cholera terror its downfall is in
evitable in the maelstrom of horror
that is now 30 rapidly overwhelming
Russia.
Army Without Food
The gravest danger facing the Mos
cow government is the lack Of food for
the Red Guards, as well as for the
army as a whole. AS result Of this
shortage military revolts are already
neglnnlng. In the most recent upris-
! ing Of this kind the Pastlovsk regi-
ment at Petrograd mutinied and caused
the greatest difficulty
With the naming of Leon Trotzky as
food dictator there now arises the pos
! sibilitv of the establishment of a pure
I military dictatorship, headed by Trotz-
/ ky, with the inevitable renewal OF ter
rorism a wholesale scale. The
launching of a merciless terror wave
by the Reds, such as they once used
to crush opposition, might now again
be employed to halt the on-march of
rebellion.
Western Europe, particularly Ger
many and -Slovakia, while dis
playing an eagerness to help the Rus
sian people in the great misfortune
! that overwhelms them, is at loss to
understand how this help can be given.
| The governments and the peoples of
! Europe believe that if relief supplies
were to be sent in care of the Soviet
! government they would fall first into
The hands of those elements which the
Soviet regime wants TO keep satisfied
for the sake of the preservation of it's
own power.
Gorky's Coming Awaited
A movement is crystallizing to send
relief expeditions from Berlin, but oniy
on the condition that they will be per-
mitted to work independent of the
Soviet government and in close con-
tact with the bipartisan organizations
in Russia
! The arrival in Berlin of Maxim
Gorky Is eagerly awaited, as it is hoped
tnat relief work of the kind mentioned
can be organized through him.
One result of the famine as far as
Germany IS concerned is the postpone
ment Of the departure for Russia, Of
the proposed German trade commits
sion. The Berlin Foreign Office, in an
nouncing the cancellation of the trim.
said that it would be postponed in
definitely on account Of the famine.
Volga Crops Threatened
RIGA, July % (By The Associated
Press Speaking at the relief meet
ing called by anti Bolshevik elements
lin Moscow, n. N. Kishkin, Soviet Min
lister of Public Welfare, representing
the government, agreed to guarantee
freedom of worA and independence III
} the collection and distribution OF
funds. Kameneff said it was necessary
to get aid from America and Europe
which should be urged to give regard
less of social differences with Russia
A decree has been issued creating q
central commission for famine relief,
headed by III. Kalinin, member of thu
Soviet Central Committee, the Rosta
Agency says. 1t includes the heads of
: many government departments, but no
!. Communists are members. The anti
, Bolshevik elements, however, are ex-
pected to aid this commission.
Unless seed grain is furnished :mme-