Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-02-03
SENATOR FRANCE ON RUSSIA

.
We might as well expect man to
be in health with one OF his vital Or
gans diseased as to hope Tor prosper
ity in the New England shoe factor
les and cotton mills, in the business
houses and banks Of New York.. on
the farms of Maryland and Kansas,
on the cotton plantations OF the
South. throughout the United States
and the world, with great organs OF
The economic body of the world, like
England, France, Russia, Germany
and Austria, suffering depression,
disease, hopeless deficit in their bud
gets and serious financial dlsorganiza
ton.
AS result of the war the coun-
tries have been dlsiocated from thelI
normal relationship. Inc piliulhs
ornaments OF accustomed ASSOCIATIONS
have been strained. The arteries u
commerce have been severed. Inc
more serious aspect OF the problem -
tina failure OF some OF the countries
vital parts of the world ORGANISMS
to perform their normal 1uncIions'
NoInlng can be more alarming 70 Inc
tnoughLful stuaents OF lnternatlohal
economy than the failure OF hussia'
and the conditions which may leao 70
the further failure OF America, "
provide the normal quantities OF 1000
Tor the support OF the peoples IN the
industrial countries. For many years
tine acreage OF land under cultivation
in RUSSIA has been steadily contract
ing. At the outbreak OF tue war mll,
lions of the peasants were caueo
from the farms. AS a result OF the
war it has been estimated that an
proximately ten millions OF Russian
peasants through deathQD and perma-
nent disabilities have been losI "
Russian agriculture. AT the Degln-
mig Of the war Russia mad approx
imatcly seven millions or horses lor
her, approximately sixteen millions
of farms. while at the close OF the
war Russia had but one million seven
hundred thousand horses. Agrlcui'
tural implements and machinery,
which Russia possessed In all TOO
meager amounts, were largely used
I'D curing the period of the war When
Importation and manufacture OF ag-
ricultural implements were largely
suspended. This process OF the STEADY
contraction of the acreage under Gull
tiyation in Russia went on until q
point was reached when not enough
Grains were produced for food pur-
poses and for seed. This resulted not
only in shortage of food, but IN q
further decrease IN the area SEEDED 10
crops. Then came the terrible
drought in the Volga district with
cloudless skies last year during Ap-
ril, May and June, the months Wn!cn
ordinarily bring heavy rains, which
resulted in the destruction OF the
crops which had been seeded in the
Volga valley. Even during the fam
inc which has existed in the Velga
district certain of the peasant Tar
naers there, looking to the future OF
that district, have seeded grains nee
essary for the nourishment Of their
bodies even at the risk Of starvation
of themselves. No more heroic figure
can be conceived than that OF the
peasant farmer starving himself,
seeding the last kernels of golden
grain, that others who might come
after should be able to harvest and
to live.
Russia is the great granary of Eu.
rope, the great nutritlve organ OF
Europe's industrial body, which, II 1t
fails TO function properly and album
dainty, will cause starvation in many
countries of Europe. Before the war
more than thirty millions of people
in the industrial countries of Europe
were fed with grains exported from
America and from Russia. The
failure of the production of grains in
Russia would naturally under normal
conditions stimulate greater pro
duction in the United States. But
owing to the fact that we can not
export our surplus grains, because
of the financial conditions which pre-
vail in Europe, there has come such
a decentralization in the price paid
our farmers for food products that
there is quite likely to occur a con-
traction next year of the American
acreage. In some states wheat is sell
ding for rs cents bushel, about one
half of the cost of production. Thus,
with the world facing a shortage OF
food, with millions starving in Russia
and millions more suffering from
under nourishment in industrial coun
tries, both Russia and America, I'M
less something shall be quickly done,