The Washington times., 1922-12-19
AIDED
AMERICAN
RELIEF
Grateful, Says Colonel Haskell,
Who Sees Conditions In
Russia Improved.
BY COL. W. N. HASKELL. U. 8. A.
Director q American Relief Mission
A. D,ruaf~

BY COL. W. N. HASKELL. U. 8. A.
Director q American Relief Mission
to Russia.
copyright. 1922, by Cosmopoiitan News
service.)
NEW YORK. Dec. 1s.-Millions
Of Russian men, women and chill
dren who today are alive and
healthy would be in their graves
had American aid not been forth
coming. Americans may well take
credit for having accomplished work
In aiding them and helping them
get work and sustain themselves
without further outside assistance.
This fact the Soviet Government
fully appreciatss. and II Ii thankful
for the help we have been able to
give. Those unwilling to admit the
benefit the relief administration has
brought to Russia are a very small
minority.
Although there 10 much suffering
from wantsof food and disease, the
necessity for supplying food ana
medical care Ia now confined to In.
dividuai spots in Russia, while until
this season this condition was prev
alent throughout the country.
Mllllens StiA In Need. 5s A.
About 5000, 900 Russians are stirl
in need Of food or medical care.
which represents a gfeat reduction
over last year. OF the present total.
about 1000 900 are being cared for
by the soviet government which 10
doing everything In Its power to
relieve conditions.
Some 100000 women and chii.
dren are receiving food and medical
attention from the American relief
administration, while the remaining
100000 are being cared for by
other agencies.
II. AZ some alarmist reports from
Russia and elsewhere asserted, 10.-
600. 900 Russian men. women and
children have died of starvation or
disease during the past season,
am unaware Of that fact. I arrived
from Russia only a few days ago.
and ] certainly would have known
of such . terrible catastrophe.
Sovicts Co-operated.
The lessening Of the number of
those requiring help 10 duo In .
lean relief administration, but the
Moscow government In justice must
receive a large share of the credit
In ameliorating the sufferings of
the people. Z.
So satisfactory have been the
efforts Of the Administration that
unless something unforeseen occurs
next season, 1923 snould see the need
for American relief end The crops
were good in many sections of
Russia last season; DO good. in fact,
that not only were the people Of
those sections able to feed them.
selves, and disease was largely
checked, but the government wae
able to export q large quantity OF
grain. In return for these exports
It was possible to import a large
amount of machinery with which to
prepare for increased crops next
season.
It was In sections where people
were unable to obtain seed and ma.
chinery that the scarcity OF food wah
chiefly felt last season, for II was
impossible, to apply the surplus food
from other sections to their relief
II plans for an extension Of aSri-
cultural work next year were to be
carried out.
Only occasionally have We found
full cooperation not extended US by
soviet government officials. This
was the result chiefly Of Ignorance
OF some local officials, who did not
clearly understand that the object OF
the American relief administration
was entirely unselfish.