Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1922-02-16
FROZEN CORPSES
FOUND In HEAP
IN CEMETERY
Harvest Of Death From Disease
For Countries OF Plenty Fear
ed From Famine Land

Arctic Explorer and Russian Relief
Worker, Who Recently Returned
From the Famine Stricken Volga
Region to England,
I'm an Interview in London With
Milton Bronner, Correspondent
of NEA SerVice.)
LONDON, Feb. 16.-To come back
70 the lands of plenty after being
il famine stricken Russia is like wax
inr from a terrible nightmare.
The American people have been
generous and prompt in aiding the
Russian famine sufferers, but they
can't possibly visualize the extent of
the calamity.
The lands along the great River
Volga. where famine followed
Drought, have an area and popula
ton approximately sequal to that of
all France.
OF these people the great number
Of 10 millions is directly menaced
with death and mi1lions-no matter
what frantic effort we make now
are doomed to die.
Every time the clock ticks dozens
Of wasted skeletons, that were once
men and women and children, are
topping over dead.
More Desolate Than Arctic
am telling you what | have seen.
When YOU enter the famine lands of
Russia you enter the lands of ter
rible silence. The very birds have
stunned this country of hunger. 1t
conveys d greater sense of desolation
than the Arctic ice fields.
Many Of the hamlets have lost
two-thirds of their population. And
those who survive--in rage, in filth
starving, freezing, all hope gone,
conserving as best they may the
precious spark of life, can look for
ward only to one thing-the release
that death brings.
In Buzululs / saw pile OF stiff
frozen corpses lying in the cemetery
awaiting burial. The weary grave
digger said to me they came by cart
loads every day. They were picked
up in the streets and alleys. They
were found in Railways Sometimes
they were found in novels, where
every one in the family had sue
2ambed.
What Donations Are Doing
Every American dollar, every Eng
lish pound sterling, every French
franc spent now in supplying food,
seed and agricultural implements to
the Volga is fighting three things:
FIRST-The terrible famine of to-
day.
SECOND-The chances of an even
more terrible famine in the next WIN
ter.
TH1RD-The plaques of disease
that may arise in the Volga country
and, sweeping across into happier
Europe and America, decimate by
thousands and tens of thousands.
Spotted typhus and cholera have
already made their appearance IN
the Volga country.
The poor people can't help beng
dirty. They have no soap, no DIS
mfectants, no drugs. And filth and
famine together are prolific breeders
Of plaques.
Experience has shown that you
can't successfully build wall
against epidemics. They can't be
confined to their points of origin.
They sweep past frontier lines.
World May Reap Disease
If the people of the world are cold
and callous to the sufferings OF starv-
ing Russia this winter, they may
reap terrible harvest of disease and
death in their own homes next sum-
mer and fall.
Four months ago | begged the
civilized nations of the world repre-
sented in the Assembly OF the
League of. Nations to do something.
Millions have died because my ap-
peal fell on deaf ears.
nv NudllceS OIL uSlplHS wy
yNors have become less since then.
Inc Volga and other river ways are
now frozen. The Russian railways
are now hampered by SHOWS.
But in spite of these handicaps we
can do much if we do it promptly.
We must send grain to keep the
people alive and we must send seed,
tractors and tools SO that the sur
'"ors may do their sowing in the
SPRING.
Must Be Put On Feet
Unless we do this, the great gran
9fy OF Russia will become depopu-
'aled desert. And Russia cannot re
,soVer, Russia cannot export food
,De worlds goods, until the Volga
.eglon has once more bevonie 9
granary.
y IS, therefore, not only charitable
u ana wise and humane and Chf5atiaE