New-York tribune., 1921-12-22
w omen Relief
Workers Seek
Aid for Russia
Describe Distress of Priani-
tive Farming People
When Streams Dry Up
and the Harvests Fail
Food Needed for Adults
Famine Fund Committee
Asks S Million to Supple
ment Work of u. S. Board

An audience Of perhaps seven hun
dred fled sparsely the lower floor of
tho Lexington Theatcr last night to
hear from representatives of the Rus
sian Famine Fund of the urgency of
Rurria's need.
Miss Anna Haines, quiet, un-
demonstrative woman, told in small,
clear voice of the distress that over
takes primitive agricultural people
VIXEN the streams dry at their sources
and the harvests fail. Miss Haines,
Quaker, recently returned from Russia.
where she had been for eighteen
months the principal relief worker for
the Society of Friends in the region of
the Volga, told of the conditions as she
has seen them and has learned from
inquiry.
Refugees Wander Aimlessly
She told of the panic attending the
famine and the refugees who clustered
about every junction point.
There was a continuous stream of
refugees going our way. and we passed
others going in the opposite direction" :"
she said. "They did not much care
which way they were going-they were
just going in search for food. Some
were coming from Uralsk and going
to Ufa; some were going from Ufa.
TO Uralsk. One family had passed
across the country in June with two
horses, small children and a baby.
They had been travelling to place
they were told contained food. When
they reached there they found less
food in that town than in their own
home, and they were now wandering
along the way back, saying that they
preferred to die at home rather than
in foreign land"
The Soviet government is giving its
utmost to fighting the famine, if
for no other reason than that it
realizes that even the present famine
situation would be as nothing com
pared to conditions next year if every
effort were not given to the rehabili
taton of the land. It's means of help
IN its own difficult situation are slight,
however. 1t has sent out families
from the famine area to settle in
Siberia. 1t has distributed some seed
corn and wheat, it was said.
Peasants Devoted to Land
A tragic illustration of the PEASANTS
VOiSCitElSS tOW0Iu the ldNu, OL CHe pc
culiar quality of his devotion to it, lies
in the fact that the peasants put this
seed grain in the ground, though their
horses are dropping in the fields for
want OF it, though they and their chill
Gren live on grass cakes and sunflower
seed, and though they themselves may
not be alive to see it come up with the
spring.
The American relief expedition is
taking care only of the children.
among children under three years Of
age there is a mortality of 80 per cent;
among children from three to twelve
there is desth rate of rs per cent
The scourge among adults is scarcely
less, said Miss Haines, when you con-
slider that villages of zoo are reduced
90 200, with little chance of that num-
ber surviving the winter
The famine fund committee appeals
for S5,000000 to supplement the work
among the children by general relief
TO adults as we'll. Until now the So
ciety of Friends, represented by Miss
Haines, has been the only organization
TO give aid to all who applied to it.
Rabbi Judah Magnes was the chair
man of last nights meeting and plead
ed that religious and political differ
ences be sunk in the presence of
Russia's agonizing need. Raymond
Robins and Allen Wardwell, chairman
OF the fund, also spoke.