The New York herald., 1922-06-09
Millions Fed by U. s. Relief
Workers in the AT
flicted Areas.
AMERICA is A HOLY NAME
William Shafroth, Son of Ex-
Governor of Colorado, Tells
Story of Despair and Death.


"A shocking story of despair, death
and cannibalism in Russia was mar
rated to the Associated Press to-day
by William Shafroth. son OF former
Governor Shafroth of Colorado. who
has arrived in London after a years
work with the American Relief Ad-
ministration in the Russian famine re-
gions.
The desperate people are eating hu-
man beings, diseased horses, dogs and
cats. he said. Cemeteries are being
dug up and long buried bodies
snatched as food. In their hunger
madness the people are stealing bodies
from morgues and hospitals to eat as
food.
In some respects the young Americans
narrative is unequaled even by the
tragic pictures in Daniel Defoe's journal
OF the plague year.
Mr.. S:afrot,.. whj had charge OF 20.oVo
Russians working for the American Re-
lief Administration in the Samara as
trict, is lean and emaciated after his ar
duous work among the starving, dying
and shelterless Russians. But he gave
ample proof that the famine sufferers
did not try to seize him for culinary pur-
poses. as had been reported while he
was in Russia. He declared. however
that Russian member Of the A. X. A.
who died of typhus was disnterred at
night and eaten by the crazed inhaoi-
tants. This gave rise to the report that
Mr.. Shafroth had been devoured.
uefused to Eat His Brother.
"I know one instance" said Mr.. Shaf-
roth, where distracted mother OF five
children killed the youngest in order to
appease the pangs of the rest OF her
Youngsters, but the Oldest, a boy, cried
bitterly when he saw his mother sever
his little brothers head and place the
body in a pot. He refused to eat the
flesh.
.sThe famine in Russia is unequalled
even by the dreadful famines OF india
China or any other In history. In some
districts the people. made insane py
hunger have gone secretly at night to
the warehouses where hundreds OF dead
bodies were stored because graves
could not be found for them and have
carried off the cadavers and used them
for food.
.aren butcher shops In Samara were
closed by the authorities because 1t was
learned that they were selling human
flesh"
shafroth said dogs and cats were now
almost extinct in Russia because OF
a Ia
said the new generation of rats had de-
yeloped remarkable elusiveness and were
much more difficult TO catch than their
procenitors because of being constantly
hunted.
THE melting snow" he continued.
sshas disclosed thousands of bodies
strewn over the fields and along road
ways. 1t was impossible to bury all
these, SC. they were placed in ware
houses like logs of kindling wood. There
is a whole vast forest in the samara
region where the bark has been stripped
from all the trees and eaten by the
famine sufferers. The Soviet authori-
ties are alarmed about losing the trees
but they don't seem specially concerned
over saving the people"
saved ny American Relief.
In spite OF these Iamentabe condi-
tions in Isolated districts, Mr.. Shafroth
said. the general situation throughout
Russia has been greatly ameiorated as
% result Of the charity enterprise OF the
American people. The health. morale
and spirit of the population were much
better. he said. since the American
Relief Administration arrived ten months
ago. He said the famine was being
reduced and epidemics were being placed
under control. Conditions in the hos
pitals had considerably improved and
che people who year ago had been
resigned to death were now more cheer
5uI and hopeful.
the feeling OF the Government" said
Mr.. Shafroth. II caan tell the people at
home that Russia's population is gem
timely and ferventy grateful 20 thS
United states America is a holy name
is Russia and Americans are regarded
as super-beings. People fall on their
knees and kiss the earth upon which tho
relief workers walk. The United States
can have solemn feeling OF pride in
saving the Russian race from extinc-
tion.
We have been feeding more than
1o.0OO,OOO Russians, and we have re-
vived the spiritual and moral life nj
untold numbers. Instead OF 10. 600 OOO
crosses or mounds of earth we can
point to 10.000.000 living and grateful
hearts AS evidence of Americas great
effort"
Mr.. Shafroth said he believe tho SOW.
iet Government. with all it's faults. had
come 10 stay. Tho Bolshevik regime
was lessening In severity. he said and
the people, IN their ignorance OF any.
thing better. had readily accepted IL
Suffering. misfortune and torture had
accustomed them % tolerate every OK.
trcfnity with supine indifference.
He said there was a vast improve
ncnt during the last nine months in
cities like Moscow and Petrograd