South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-07-24

CLEVELAND, July 23.-(By NEA
Service) I'm extremities OF starva-
ton. Russia has sunk 70 cannibslism.
according to a letter received in this
city by a friend OF L. A. Trofimov.
fearing the Reds. refuses 10 allow
his name to be made public.
Stories 50 horrible as to challenge
belief are in the letter-stories OF
mothers killing. cooking and eating
their children; OF dead BODIES rotting
in the streets; OF a hopeless. de-
spairing nation.
The letter. smuggled past the strict
mail censorship in possession Of
a mutual friend leaving Russia,
brands life in the soviet nation as "a
terrible nightmare, daily growing
worse"
Yes. the horrible pictures the let
ter paints are true" says Trofmov,
who fled from Russia Under forged
passports in 1918 He had served in
the Russian navy under the car,
Kerensky. and. for a short time, I'M
der Lenin. and was a submarine
commander in active service during
the war.
Il myself saw the beginnings
which inevitably led TO this But
there will be a reaction. proba bly, re-
sulting in the return OF monarchy.
"Lenin. the one sincere man of the
BOlsheviki, is conservative in his
radicalism II he dies, as the papers
say is likely. men more radical will
get control and the peasantry will
rise against them Then. probably
a monarchy. for the people of Rus
STA do not know Of good republic
such as America All they know is
sovietism and monarchy. and be-
tween the two they will choose mon
archy.
Conditions Pictured.
What else will they do when there
Is no food, no hope or food and
! scarcely a house in RUSSIA nj to live
| in? The wooden buildings are torn
| down for firewood. the brick build
| ings are tumbling down. Unrepaired
| roofs admit the water. which
/ freezes between the bricks Of the
walls and causes them TO become dis
/ lodged. People live like animals in
/ the Easements. All this because the
houses have no owners and who
/ cares If they tumble?
"Cannibalism Yes, I believe IT,
for when l left Russia everyone was
! consuming and no one producing or
! planting. This would bring the ter
rible desperation of hunger which
/ well might lead TO cannibalism."
Text of Letter.
| The letter follows:
Limperopol, March %, 1922.
! Dear Brother
/ 1 have chance to send you this
letter by a friend OF ours who goes
| abroad.
] wish to give briefly the picture
! OF the life in soviet Russia.
! Hunger. indulgence and disease
kill hundreds of people every day.
The people die like flies and dead
/ bodies lie in the streets for several
days. and rot.
The most hunger is in the Volga
region and Crimea. Inhabitants
have eaten up all the cats. dogs,
| horses and have entered into canni-
/ balism often mothers kill their
I
There is no hope for help and this
makes our life worse every day. All
who have a chance flee from Russia.
/ If you are able 20 do something for
US I know that you Will do IL. be-
cause We do not know what will
happen 70 us month 20 month. We
would all with great pleasure leave
the country Of "cOmmunistic para
disc" and go abroad.
! was just graduated from the high
school, but I am not allowed 10 at
tend university because Of my past
serve with the Whites Now I am
helping my father and we both can
hardly earn enough money for sew
eral pounds of black bread
Gets Worse Daily
Yes. the life is terrible night
mare and is daily getting worse
All are emaCiated and downcast and
beeseech aid-but there is none nor
any place from which 20 obtain It.
The fields in Russia have not been
sown and next year Russia Will die
out
We all beg you 20 write a few
words and advise US how 10 leave.
Prices OF food in Russia:
One pound Of black bread $50 900
rubles before the war ruble was
the equivalent Of 40 or so cents in