The Washington herald., 1921-08-03
Reports to Hoover Show
Economic Plight of
Russian People.
FAMINE CONDITIONS
IN VOLGA VALLEY
Few Provinces Produce
Surplus Available to
Starving.


which the United States is preparing
Il to alleviate unofficially through the
American Relief organization in Eu-
rope, have been brought about. ac-
cordfng to careful investigation con-
Quoted by the Department OF Com
merce. through the complete collapse
Of industry and production under the
Soviet regime.
Russia's economic collapse, ac-
cording to reliable reports to Secre-
tary Hoover, who, as head of the
American Relief forces. is under
taking to aid the starving people OF
that country is traced primarily to
the fact that industry there has de-
creased 80 per cent as compared to
the prewar period.
Reports from reliable sources to
Mr.. Hoover shoy in striking figures
Russia's economic plight.
Production Greatly Reduced.
Industrial production during the
year 1920 in percentages compared
20 prewar output was as follows:
Pig iron. 2 per cent; copper ore,
O.6 per cent; iron ore 2 per cent;
manganese ore, 2.6 per cent; salt, Is
per cent; rubber industry, per
cent; watch industry, Is per cent;
paper industry, 20 per cent; sugar
industry, 5 per cent; printing, Is
per cent; production of coal, 20 per
cent; cotton spindles operating, 3
per cent: wooden cloth, 4 per cent.
Before undertaking to reply to
/ Maxim Gorky's appeal for relief to
the starving Russians, Mr.. Hoover
look occasion to inquire closely into
actual conditions and reports re-
ceived indicate that the most acute
famine area covers the Volga Valley
from the Caspian Sea northward.
The drought in this area would not
be of such fatal character but for
he general decadence of agriculture
reduction of surplus in other re-
gions and in the decay of transpor-
Iatiop, rendering most difficult the
movement of such local surnluses as
do still exist.
Smaller Areas Cultivated.
Examples of reports from the
ldrougffI area shows the province of
SSamara sowing this spring only 5S
per cent of the acreage cultivated
kst year. In the province of kaZan.
900 acres usually cultivated were
lot Sown at all. To the west Of the
Eolga Valley less than SO per cent
Isf the arabic territory in the prov
/ tscs of Orel was sown, and in the
province of Tula only 20 to IS per
sent of the necessary seed for SOW
ing was available
Overriding such local situations
there has been a steady decline in
agriculturaI production ever since
the revolution owing to the lack of
Incentive to farmers to provide for
more than their own needs, to the
shortage- of seed and shortage of
Implements. The urban population
6has produced little TO offer in ex-
change and the currency reprecia-
Ition through the increase of cur
[ency issues to over 1,OOO, ,OOO, 900 of
Troubles has rendered their accumu-
tlation no attraction. From these
ycauses Russia, before even last
years harvest had declined from
state producing from 100000 to
10, 900 900 tons of food for export to
a condition where there was such an
insufficient supply of food for the
stiles that the urban population has
been reduced by about one half.
Grain Crops Much Smaller.
An indication of diminished grain
crops in 1921 is offered by the guam
tites estimated to be requisitioned
as taxes by the Soviet government.
The total amount for all Soviet Rus
sia, except the Ukraine and Turk
sstan, is 4,32O.OOO tons of grain, as
against 7,614.0O0 tons in 1920. The
potatoes estimated to be requisi-
toned this year amount to 1,0SO,OOO
tons as compared with 2,016,0O0 tons
N 1920; 216.0O0 tons of all seeds are
to be requisitioned instead of 49,
boo tons in 1920. The number of
provinces where any surplus is in
dicated for removal to other PROV
lnces appears to have decreased
from over twenty prewar to not
more than four.
There has been such deterioration
Of transportation that there is doubt
as to ability to move the local sur
pluses that do exist in the richer
grain producing provinces in Siberia
and the south to those areas which
|porrnaIIv deDend upOn them