San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-08-05

Ing the grlsly VISION OF famine dIter
so many experiences of war and its
effects, felt that it was an inescap-
able duty to accept the invitation
made to me. 1 was also drawn by a
strong desire to see the conditions
Of Russia, outside as well as inside
the famine area, and to get first
hand knowledge of the system of
Bolshevism which was a terror to
the majority in Europe, with some
secret attraction, holy or unholy,
among men and women of revolu-
tionary or advanced" views.
1t was impossible to know the
truth from newspaper reading.
Stories of Russian atrocities and
horrors arrived from Riga, Helsing-
fors and other cities on the border
of the Soviet Republic, and were de-
MED by other correspondents. Know
ing the way in which atrocities t"
had been manufactured in time of
war by every nation, disbelieved
all 1 read about Russia circulated
by the "White" propaganda depart
ment, while doubling everything
which came from "Red" sources. /
think that was a general attitude of
mind among unprecedented people.
Even with regard to the famine
it was impossible to get near the
truth by newspaper accounts. The
Daily Mail said the tales of famine
were vastly exaggerated. The Daily
Express said there was no famine
at all. The Morning Post suggested
that it was a simple scheme for de-
luding Western nations in order to
feed the Red Army. 1 wanted to
know, and promised to find out and
report impartially to the Imperial
Relief Fund. The Daily Chronicle
agreed to publish a number of arti-
cles written after my return from
Russia lin order to avoid censor
ship, and I arranged to send an
account to the Review of Reviews,
of which 1 was the rather nominal
editor.
A journalist friend Of mine named
Leonard Spray was also under in
: structions from the Daily Chronicle
to 20 to Russia, for another line of
inquiry, and much to my delight
promised to wait for me in Berlin
SO that we could travel together. 1t
would make a great difference hav-
ing a companion on that adventure,
for I confess that I hate the lonely
trail.
/. 1t was a question Of waiting for
passports from the Soviet Foreign
Office in Moscow. had applied to
the Russian Trade Mission in Lon
don. and was recommended by an
assistant to Krassin, an intelligent
and well-educated young Russian,
who professed devoted adherence to
Communism while doing himself re-
markably well, 1 thought, with all
the material pleasures of capitalistic
luxury. After a couple of weeks my
credentials arrived, my passport was
Endorsed with the stamp of the So
Wet Republic, and / had in this way
a talisman which would open the
gate of Red Russia and let me enter
the heart of its mystery. To SOM
of my friends it seemed the free adj
mission 10 a tigers cage.
In Berlin, I was advised to buy
blankets, cooking utensils, as much
food as / could carry, and illimit-
.hls quantities of insect powder. l
tool, tltis advice. and with Leonard
spray and a very useful lady who
understood the German ways Oh
shopping, we bought this OUTFIT re-
y markably cheap, reckoning in Ger
man marks, which were then not
mite 1000 to tie English pound.
Spray and spent two solid days
obtaining visas in Berlin for all the
countries through which We had to
mass on our way to the Russian
frontier by way of Riga-those new
Raltic States created at Versailles.
Our journey to Riga was half q
nightmare and half farce, and
Spray called our train the "get in
and get out express" We generally
arrived at a new frontier in the
dead of night or in the early hours
of dawn, after fitful sleep. Then we
were awakened by armed guards de-
handing to see our visa for each
side of the "Danzig corridor" for
Lithuania, Esthonia and Latvia.
In Riga We put up for three or
four days, waiting for a train into
Russia and permission from Soviet
representatives in that city to cross
the Rus ian frontier. In spite of
our yisas from headquarters, those
Riga Bolsheviks were extremely in
solent and put up blank wall OF
indifference to our requests for rail-
yay facilities. There seemed to be
40 chance of a place in any train
,nd very little chance of a train.
doubt whether we should ever
have set foot in Russia if it had not
seen for the American Relief Adj
t1inistration established in Riga and