The Holly chieftain., 1922-04-20

In this time of terrible need. Until the famine
gave the Soviet government this opportunity It
had made no open attempt at appropriation,
though II had done all In Its power to discredit
the church, whose influence notwithstanding on
the Russians-the most religious people In the
world-has steadily grown. Mystery surrounds
the action Of the archbishop in yielding up the
churchs treasures to its bitterest foe. But the
Soviet government has ways Of its own for getting
results
Now, all the world knows there is famine In a
part of Russia. And all the world knows that there
are-or have been-vast treasures in the hands of
the Russian church. But one Is not sure that
these treasures are still In the hands of the church.
Nor is one entirely confident that the starving
Will get the benefit Of these treasures even II they
prove intact and the Soviet government gets DOS
session Of them. 1t is hard to believe anything
to the credit Of the Russian Soviet government
these days.
America knows full well that there is famine in
Russia. We are trying to save as many as DOS
sible of the starving Russians. Up to the middle
OF March the A. r. A. activities, it Is known had
resulted in the landing of so ships at Black sea
and Baltic ports These ships carried 212, ,413 TONS
OF which 1856 tons were corn, wheat, and sun
dries. OF this amount 129,723 tons Of corn and
wheat were discharged and 71s6O shipped into
the interior OF sundries 5,342 tons were shipped
leaving 57S63 tons of corn and $500 tons of sun.
dries In stock waiting for transport to the volga
Goods were shipped on 124 trains as follows:
From Reval, %; from Libau, IA; from Novoros-
sissk. %; from Theodosla. 10; from Odessa is;
from Windau 21; from Danzg, 12. The wheat
and corn trains were reported March Is to
have arrived at Ufa. Orenburg Tzaritzan, Samar,
and Saratov. Fifteen trains were nearing Kazan
and Simbirsk on the same date. Distribution of
the corn to adults began in the first week in March,
In addition to these arrivals 10000 tons were
moving on ports and another 100000 tons were
being loaded in United States ports.
These stocks are enough to feed 100000 people
p,pn Ict
to the disorganization of Russian railroads. in some
districts there are no railroads at all.
Nobody here seems to know just how awful the
famine situation is. Exact figures lacking. In
March DR.. Frdtjof Nansen, who headed an inter-
national commission of investigation said:
"The famine of 1921-1922 was caused by lack of
grain. caused in turn by lack of seeds and farm
labor. Not thing has been done to prevent
similar shortage for next year and If the world,
with the exception of America which has been
marvellous in Its succor, still remains aloof the
suffering of next winter will surpass anything ever
before known in the history of the world.
mot one-tenth of the acreage available for
harvest purposes has been sown this year in prep.
aration for the fall. The peasants have neither
the seeds, the animals for the plowing nor the
energy which Is generated by food.
"Their wives and children starving and
despite the admirable relief already brought to
them by the American Relief commission and
the International Commission for the Relief of
Russia millions are doomed to death, failing
concerted action of the powers before June
"For 100000 square miles there is nothing but
starvation In Russia No crops. No food. No
smiling children. Nothing but desolation and
death. 1t is a crime against the world"
In March 1t was stated that the Russian Soviet
authorities had failed to provide even half the
number Of cars promised for the transportation
of American relief administration food supplies
from the Black sea ports Of Novorossissk and from
Snn Ia fha ah1f ad
centers Of the interior, according to reports by
Walter Lyman Brown European director Of the
American organization.
'The EOviet officials promised US sufficient cars