Albuquerque morning journal., 1922-05-22
VOLGA PEASANTS
ARE AMAZED As
HF00D FLOWS IN
In Some of the Remote
Cantons the People Be-
Iieved An Effort Was Be-
ina Made to Poison Them

Tsaritsln, Russia, May 21.---The
peasants Of the little villages Of the
Nolga river valley were amazed
when the food supplies of the AM
orican relief administration began
TO arrive. They had not believed IT
possible that promises OF food
would be fulfilled. Newspaper ar
tioles which have been collected by
agents OF the A. II, A. show some
OF the astonishnent these people
felt when at last they received the
hoped-for gifts from America.
ut is very fine but it cannot
last" said one peasant whose chill
dren had received food from me
A. r, A. Surely they will stop II
soon. They give US little bread
milk, soup and beans and the chll-
: dren come back to life, Theaf
cheeks are like apples When we
had bread they did not look SO well
even at three pounds day.
Received With suspicion.
The Russian writer who lmer-
viewed the peasants told them the
distribution Of food would be con-
tinued until the next harvest.
In some OF the remote cantons
where there are many strange sects
the American food was received
with suspicion. THE devil is
tempting u.s." muttered some OF
the faithful when the corn ana
cocoa absolutely unknown before
arrived. HE is posing as an AM
erican and trying to make us drink
his brown poison"
They upset the boilers containing
the cocoa made for the children
and the A, r. A. inspectors were
compelled to conduct campaign
OF education to explain the mean
ing of albumin and calories.
$50 they have mixed albumin IN
the flour" declared some of the
suspicious ones. 1T is TO tempt
MS. a trick of the devil. Don't touch
1t brothers"
Since they had already eaten
dogs, why not try this deVlhsl,
strange concoction. They sampled
il and were pleased. Having been
assured that the Americans also
believed in God, their fears van
ished. Soon almost two-thirds OF
The children in this area were pc
ing fed by the A. r. A. There is no
more talk of the devil.
The efficiency with which the
work of the A. II. A. was done con-
tributed to the surprise OF the
peasants. on that point one Rus
sian writer said: Every railway
car loaded with foodstuffs that ar
riyes in the station at Tsaritsin has
beon broken into and pilfered.
only the A. r. A. shipment arrives
in good order and not better guard
ed than the others. Thieves here
fear nothing but for some reason
there exists a tacit understanding
1.-The A. II. A. supplies must pe
left alone.
4 A. X. A. Is Miraculous. !,
"The A. II. a. gives no bribes ana
makes no threats. 1t simply an
nounces what it needs and de-
,nands action. 1t is evident that II
has acquired remarkable prestige.
In this atmosphere of famine ana
crime such an institution seems
marvellous thing. We Russians
love miracles. Believe in them and
expect them. The A. r. A. Is mi
raculous TO interfere with it would
be q sln."
Another Russian newspaper man
wrote: "The astonishing thing Is
that in spite of all obstacles the
A. r. A. Kitchens appeared as it by
magic i'll every conceivable place,
working with ,machine-like perfec-
tion.
'iWhy Is it that the A. r. A. sup
plies are distributed and ours not!