Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-05-19
AMERICAN RELIEF WORK
Russians Regard Americans With
Religious Reverence.
BURN CANDLES In GRATEFUL REGARD
Twenty Million Dollar Appropriation
Is Being Expended With Efficient
Thoroughness-The Famine Suffer-
ers Show Wonderful Patience.

is Beng ESpendcd WIN G'"e'S''
Thoroughness-The Famine Suffer
ers Show Wonderful Patience.
Norah Meade in New York World.
1t was Rudyard Kipling who said
that the Russian was very pleasant
gentleman until he tucked his shirt in
to his trousers. Which was the Eng
lishmans way of. saying that as fcl-
low European he thought the Russian
very amiable Oriental.
What docs the American think of the
Russian? How does he like him in his
native land? How is he impressed
not by the cosmopolitan inhabitants OF
the big cities, but by, the peasant and
the Main Street tradesman?
The American Relief Administration
which as the distributor of America S
500, 100000 gift to the famine suffer-
ers will feed approximately 100000
people in the stricken areas, has al
ready opened it's stations all through the
country-in Moscow, Petrograd, Kaz-
an, Simbirsk, Samara, Saratov, Ufa,
Tzaritzin. In fact its most easterly
post is now eighty miles beyond Tche-
liabinsk, which every European con-
siders the gateway to China.
The A. r. A workers have therefore
penetrated to the very heart of Russia
They have come to know its people in
oi, ~ uyh
inevitably reveal their real character.
What they think Of the Russian, his
manner of life, his attitude of mind,
and above all his capacity for suffer-
ing in his present terrible ordeal, is re-
iiected in the following collection OF
stories and frst-hand opinions which
this paper has been able TO secure for
it's readers.
This first story comes from the Stav-
ropol district of Samara.
Late last fall an American Relief
Administration worker on tour of in
vestigation through this territory came
on a little village where the famine
was reaching crisis and the people
mad begun to despair. Already they
were beginning to live on grass, roots
and the edible but dysentery- causing
clay which have come to be the main
food for millions of Russia.
Descending from his car, he seemed
indeed real god from machine, for.
satisfied as to their need, he forthwith
opened a kitchen, to which stocks OF
nourishing supplies came regularly
from a central warehouse, to save the
lives of the children.
In December the A. r. A. man re-
turned to see how the work was pro-
crossing. He came by sleigh this time
for snow had blocked the roads, and
there is lao railway in these outlying
districts of the famine area. He came
late in the day, when the gloom was
gathering, and the first gleanf tnat met
his eye WAS from a candle in the VIII
lage church of Old Benaradia. 1t was
the only glimmcr at the moment. Dur
ing his stay he noticed that ii was con-
stant, and later they told him the rea-
son.
1t was a candle kept constantly
burning for the soul Of the a. Il. a., by
villagers who had no other way OF
showing their gratitude for its timely
aid
"The Russian is an Oriental sait
one A. r. A. man, whose work took
him on a trip through the whole Vol
ga valley. mo man not thoroughly
imbucd with the passive philosophy o
the East could take his predicamen
as he takes it today.
Can you imagine an Occidental far
mcr sowing seed for next years rrol
and telling you at the same time tina
he expected to be dead Of starvation
before the crop ripencd?
Can you imagine an American let
ting his president tell him he might a
well die of hunger in his own home "a
try to escape and die in the open? Yc
thousands of Russians listened t
President Kalinin tell them that an
never uttered a complaint.
Though they were scraping tn
trees Of their bark to make bread wit
it, l did not hear any of them tet