The labor world., 1922-02-18
BY WILLIAM ENGLISH wALL1NIGl, \:


voted for Russian Famine Relief
"r' oo'npe9s SAID: a.
when a call of: this kind com es
to us as people in our Republic
and when we find the situation as i,
Is, due to causes which it is not NE;
cessary to explain other than to say
that the people have contributed
very largely from generosity. to
every cause, every call for the pur.
pose Of humanity, there is only one
resort left, and that is to appeal to
the Government Of the United States
to come to the relief Of a sorrowing,
stricken people. 1t is quite apro-
pos for Mr.. Hoover in his statement
to you gentlemen this afternoon to
say that the distinction has been
made between what might be termed
the act or the hand Of God and that
which is due to the added hand of
man." i
The remarks Of Mr.. Hoover re-
ferred to by Mr.. Gompers, were:
THE whole situation, l think, may
be generalized as follows: That Rus
sia. with something like 100000, 900
people under the sway of the Soviet
government, has been steadily de-
generating in agriculture and pro-
duction ever since the establishment
OF the Socialist government. The
surpluses that the Russian people
formerly produced have disappeared
and outside of the Volga Valley
there is pretty generally shortage
in food, except in parts Of the
Ukraine and parts OF Siberia.
The problem that we are con-
fronting is not a problem of relief
to an area. suffering from an acute
drought. In other words, we are
making a distinction here. between
the situation created by the hand of
man as distinguished from the sit
uatiion that might be called an act
Of God"
Mr.. Gompers then concluded:
What l wanted to be sure about
before I expressed a word in favor
Of this legislation now pending here
before. the committee is that I
wanted to know whether if the
American Congress shall out of the
pockets of. the people expend $10,-
100000 or $20,000;00o for the relief
Of the famine-stricken people of
Russia, whether it would give aid
and comfort to the present, govern
ment OF Russia, and I wanted to
know whether they would be in alb
solute control of this fund and this
relief by the American Relief Ad-
mipistration, that it would not be
taken over to help the existing re-
gime in Russia called the soviet
government, and whether it would,
tranquillize the people to such an
extent as that. they would. help the,
present regime as final. !.
L made the statement, thatI have
just made to explain the position
which I occupy and think NV mind
was disa bused before + came here
this afternoon. came here to add
my appeal to that which has already
been made before this committee.
want that your committee shall
know, and. I: want that those whom,
l. had the honor in part to,represent
to know, that I am here expressing
their views and having been 'satis-
fled with the appropriation by the
Government of funds for the pur-
pose, of this relief, in as far: as can
add anything shah be very pleased
to appealto you to pass the legisla-
tion." =.
Mr.. Hoover pointed out the utter
lnadequacy Of private donations for
Russian Famine Relief and the small
amount that had been raised in this
way in view Of the vast needs of
Russia's, starving. millions. =. On this
point, Mr.. Hoover said: -,
Il feel that public charity will do
everything that charity can do, but
these are times when one can not
rightly summon much public charity
for use abroad from the American
people. There are a great many
committees working throughout the
country under great difficulty, but
with great deal of energy. L do
not believe. however. that the total
collections since August OF the en-
tire group amount to ..$750.000.
Public charity is to. be not an avenue
through which this problem, can be
solved"
indeed much Of the agitation for
Russian famine relief is not aimed
primarily at helping the starving
Russians at all, but seeks to create
sympathy for the Soviets, which are
one OF the chief causes of the FAM
Inc. This is especially true .of the
agltatlons carried on in labor union
circles to send money direct to the
so-called Russian. Red Cross
which is one Of -,:le. chief propa-
ganda tools Of the Soviets, ''Soviet
Red, Cross delegates having been
repeatedly expelled from other
countries, both for propaganda and
for plotting revolt. -
An example of the perversion Of
the humanitarian instincts of the
American labor unionists for the
purposes Of the Soviet anti-lab bor
tyranny is to be found in an article
now going round the labor press and
signed by the Soviet defender and
apologist, Linco1n Steffens. Here
are some striking sentences: -.
I'VE ask Labor to consign what it