South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-09-10
American Relief Workers
Overcome Big Handicap in
Indifference of Russians

MOSCOW. Sept. Colonel Will
icm n. Haskell. director of the
Russian unit, American relief ad-
m.nistration. was sitting quietly At
his desk in the Moscow offices Of
the A. r. A. An Interpreter
Knocked
Mr. Kamenen begs TO be excused,
SIR he said He regrets that it
VIII be impossible for him TO see
Col. Haskell until tomorrow morn
ing" Kameneff Is chairman of the
Mos ow soviet and chairman OF the
All-Russian famine relief.
You informed Mr.. Kameneff that
was leaving for Saratov tonight?"
re inquired.
Yes. sir. and that you expected
TO De gone about 10 days"
There vas a moment Of silence
and then the telephone buzzed. Col.
Haskell reached for it.
Tell him." the unperturbed
colonel answered into the telephone,
that the train for Saratov must
not leave until I have concluded my
interview with Mr.. Kameneff Now"
turning 10 the interpreter. tell Mr..
Kameneff that have asked the rail-
road authorities to hold the train.
The matter is urgent and I don't
propose TO leave Moscow until II Is
settled"
KameneT Capitulates.
Twenty minutes later the tele-
phone rang again. The voice at the
other end OF the wire explained
that "Comrade Kameneff would see
Col. Haskell Immediately"
The incident illustrates what
America in Russia has TO contend
with in order to feed 10000, 900 peo-
pie The main difficulty is in con-
vincing these officials that lost time
means lost lives.
when we first came In" he
smiled, I'VE had a devil OF time
getting anything done. The soviet
government Ioked upon US with
suspicion We had to 'soft-pedal'
our dema nds, and we were always
net with the promlse-'zaftra.'
Then food began to go out TO
the districts, long trainloads OF
child-feeding supplies. We opened
up more districts and increased al
lotments all around. Here in Mos
COW the atm osphere began to
change. Our requests in the mat
ter OF transportation. adequate
housing for personnel and office
space were given more attention.
By the time we were feeding a mil
lion the attitude OF the administra-
ton here In Moscow had changed,
but not entirely.
Used Stronger Methods.
I'VE figured that the time for
making unheeded requests had
passed. So when they kept putting
things off ard giving us empty
promises 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.
Col HaskelTs record stamps him
as one Of the ablest 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 de-
partment recognized Haskell's abil-
tiles when it placed him in command
OF New York's famous Sixty ninth
Infantry while that regiment was
still an unframed and undisciplined
element Of the national guard.
1t was a two-fisted job. After ec-
complishing this Haskell was need
ed by the war department for the
huge training programme II had
outlined after the outbreak of war.
He was relieved of command Of the
Sixty-ninth. which, as a unit of the
Rainbow division. sailed for France.
He was assigned TO Camp Upton,
where he organized headquarters for
the Seventy-seventh division of the
national army, later becoming chief
os staff OF this division. In January,
1918. he was ordered to sail for
France. where he entered the army
staff college at Langres. When Gen.
Billiard assumed command Of the
Second army he was made chief of
operations, in which capacity he
v as serving when the armistice was
signed.
Assigned 10 A. r. A. job.
But Col. Haskell was not destined
to lead a quiet life. Herbert Hoover
asked the war department TO as
sign Haskell TO the American relief
administration, which had just been
organized. for the delicate task of
feeding the population OF Rumanio
until the 1919 crop could be har-
vested.
Long before the fail OF the year
however. the work had been organ
lied, and Col Haskell was recon-
mended 10 the supreme council at
Paris for the important post Of al
led high commissioner 20 Armenia,
which he accepted in July, 1919.
Having discharged the commits
sion with his usual precision. Col
Haskell returned 10 the United