The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-03-11
RUSSIA is IN
GRIP OF FAMINE
a Special Campaign For Flour
and Corn For 100000
Starving Russians is
Being Put On

IN ,tfle mast OF OuT. talk III tHlS
country of s.llard times" it may
still be hard for us to realize that
incur sister country, Russia, mil
Hons are starving. The famine in
Russia today holds IN its grip Ia
0g8. 900 people. There is suffer-
ing and hardship in other parts of
Russia, but nowhere does starva-
ton stalk through the land en-
oracing a whole people. rich and
poor alike. as in the Valley Of Vol
ga. which has an area of 500 by
SEQ miles. with a population of So
oa9, ,Gee people. In the, fall of
1920. as usual, the peasanty farm
ers Of Russia planted their wheat
ana rye. Then came the drought.
Ere1n october until June no rain
fell The wheat gerninated poorly
S in The fall. tilel, the hot. dry winds
OF summer shr;yeled and burnt the
struggling fields until they We're
scared ALMOST as if by fire. Seven
per cent Of the land produced
nothing. the balance only one
{ taeatieth OF the 7is.il--4r-::...ai crop Pan
ic-stricken with fear, literally hun
dreds OF thousands of peasants fled
& So escape the trap OF hunger and
approaching winter Piiing a few
Belongings on their wagons, they
Travelled as far as their horses could
CO. then killed and ate them. Many
dicd OF, the weary journey from
: hunger and exposure. Those who
at last reached the railway stations
Mere again doomed to disappoint-
fnsiis. No food was there, and very
nleagcr means of transportation to
more favored parts Of Russia. So
herc they await food or death.
Which viii COME first2 Attempts
Hays been made by the Pussian
Soviet government to give. relief by
sending food trairs into the famine
areas, but the supplies are 50 i':-
adequate that they made no per-
gepfibfc, difference in conditions.
: The need of Russia today is ap-
paliing. The greatest amount nf re-
Sef which can be secured in Amer
lea, both government and private
Ni1i be inadequate. During the
famine In this same area Ill 1891
the Russian government spent
s $4,000 900 for food.
At the suggestion Of President
Harding. Congress has appropriated
$50 900 200 for Russian relief.
Every man and woman should sup
port this measure and future meas
ures for governmental aid. The
need is desperate. Tile minimum
cost OF: the food; to keep = person
alive with one meal a Gay Is four
cents. or one dollar a month. There
are f55,o00.0e0. people starving "a
Russia In other words it Will take
u minimum of s15,00o.eo0 month
10 feed them. for at least five
months. probably six, until their
ground can yield. food. 1t wcpld
be useless to feed all the people
for one month AMI then let Them
die. Consequently with the frnds
now available only ope-fifth or cre-
sixth Of the starving can be cared
for. on a program covering full
period The remaining four-fiiths
or ssye-sixths viii be just as dead
;in tNo months if no other than gov
ernmental aid is sent in. as they
would had no money been appro-
Tiiated by Congress The $4,000
gG61 given from Washington .leans
an niavoluntary contribution, by
taxation, Of twenty cents per per-
SOB. Sufely With death staring a
whole people in the face no Ameri-
can should feel satisfied that he
has done his duty until he has
made personal gift and sacrifice.
Your help is needed. The relief
campaign of the American Friends
Service Committee will so on.
Any person or persons in Sum-
ter wanting to help save the lives
or the Russian Famine Sufferers
and desire to make some contribu-
sion for this purpose may do so.
1T is your privilege. Local con-
fribufiens ere being handled by w.
81. crowson., Jr.. in the National
Eank OF Sumter. who is in COM
nunica;ion with the American
Friends Service Committee. 90
South Twelfth Street, Philadelphia.
sI,a. Or. If you prefer, you may
sssend your contribution direct to
sphf,ade,pflia. Anyone wishing fur
st.1er information may obtain it by
getting in touch with Mr.. Cow
,,.t,,. ~. ,,,,r,t,or ,,f ,,No ,pn