The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-10-15
American Relief Workers
Overcome Big HandicapS
In Russian Indifference

by International News Service.
MOSCOW.-Col, William ~. Has.
kell, director OF che Russian unit
American relief administration, wal
sitting quietly at his desk IN tn,
Moscow offices Of tho A. Il. a. An
interpreter knocked.
"Rameneff begs TO be excused
sur, he said. "He regrets that It will
be impossible for him 10 see Colonel
/ Haskell until tomorrow morning"
! kameneff Is chairman OF the ALI
Russian Famine Relief.
| You informed kamencff that I
wac leaving for Saratov tonlght2" he
inquired.
Yes sir. and that you expected
to be gone about ten days"
There was moment Of silence
and then the telephone buzzod.
Colonel Haskell reached for st..
Tell him" the unperturbcd colon
el answered into the telephone. that
the train for SaratOy must not leave
until | have concluded my interview
with Kameneff. Now" turning 10
tho Interpreter. tell Kamenoff that
! have asked the railroad authoritles
to hold the train. The matter IL
urgent and do not propose TO leave
Moscow until II Is settled"
hhhlcnciI tupltulhtcs.
Twenty minutes later tho tele-
phone rang again. The voice nt tho
other end Of tho wire explained that
"COmrade Kameneff would sec
Colonel Haskell Immediately"
Tho incident illustrates what
America in Russia has TO contend
with In order TO feed 10000, 900 pco-
pie. The main difficulty IL In con-
vincing these officials that lost time
means lost lives.
Nv hen we first came IN" he
smiled, Eve had n devil Of a time
getting anything done. The soviet
government looked upon us with
suspicion. We had TO 6oft-pcdaI
our demands, and we were always
met with the promise zattra.'
Then food began to go out 10
the districts, long trainloads OF child
feeding supplies We opened up
more districts and increased allot-
ments all around. Here IN Moscow
the atmosphere began TO change.
Our requests IN the matter OF trans
portatiOn. adequate housing for per-
eonncl and office space were given
more attention. by the time We
were feeding 100000 tho attitude
OF tho administration here IN Mos
Used Stronger Methods
I'VE figured that the time for
making unhocdcd requests had
passed. So when they kept putting
things of and giving us empty prom
ises we put on the sCreWs.'
The man who CLEANED up" Ar
menia as allied high commissioner
grinned. I'VE get along fine with
them now" he said.
Colonel Haskella record stamps
him as ono Of the ablcst organizers
in the United States army. Herbert
Hoover probably had this IN mind
when he selected him for the most
difficult Job In Russia. The war
department recognized Ha1kells
abilities when II placed him IN com
mand OF New York's famous Sixty
ninth infantry while that regiment
was still an unframed and undiscl-
plined element OF the national guard.
II was two-fisted job, After ac-
complishing this Haskell was needed
by the war department for the huge
training program Il had outlined
after the outbreak Of war IIo was
relieved OF command OF the Sixty
ninth. which, as unit OF the RAIN
bow division, sailed for France. He
was assigned to Camp Upton, whore
he organized headquarters for the
s;eventy-seventh division OF the ma
tional army. later becoming chief OF
staff OF this division. In January,
1913, he was ordered 20 sail for
kTance, where he entered the army