Evening star., 1924-01-21
RUSSIAN ORPHANS
ODYSSEY NEAR END
Four Million of Hungry Wan
derers Rounded Up and
Given Shelter.
By Gable to Tie Star ard New York Tribune.
Copyright, 1924

By Gable to The Star and New York Tribune.
Copyright, 1924.
MOSCOW, January 21.-The odys-
sey of the bands of Starving, home
less and orphaned children" number
ing nearly 100000. who, since early
in the war and after have been wan
dering over the steppes Of Russia,
from Archangel to the Crimca, from
Volhynia and the Ukraine TO the bor-
der of Sakhalin and Kamchatka-this
odyssey is approaching its closing
stages.
Mother Russia is gathering up
her little children. Four million have
by the authorities, and when not diff
ferently provided for We're placed in
homes and institutions conducted by
the commissariats for public health
tanned by trade and professional
unions and homes established from
/ FUNDS supplied by foreign organiZa-
tions," largely American.
2,OOO.0GO still ut Large.
Two million OF such child wander
erS are still at large over the vast
lace or Russia. an area whose eX-
tent mea sureS MP TO one sixth of tn.
land surface of the globe. The re-
claiming and salvagipg of this last
third OF the ragged, hungry and fes-
tering child army has now become
one of the chief internal problems OF
the soviet authorities.
The task of liquidating this prob
lem of child homelessness for some
time has been placed by the all-RuS-
sian central executive committee. the
highest governing body in Russia. in
known a. the committee for anchor
:t;nE the conditions of child life.
Felix Djersinsky, former head of the
ext aordinary commission of the
habilitator, is chairman of this COM
J tion for getting things done.
= He is known to mean what he says
and to insist that orders are orders.
and must lie carried out. Actively
sky is President kalinin himself But
it is upon the former head Of the
80 -~-----'sS'on" that the actual
Job OF gathering the children in from
..dS-ia rests. their identI-
1itaticn where possible, and their
where such homes and parents are
still in existence and can be located.
Difficulties Pointed Out.
The children's commission recently
called ONCE more to the attention Of
both Russia and the world the difficult
ties and problems of its gigantic task,
for the aims of the commission are
both national and international III
scope.
Kalinin. himself a peasant and
knowing little Of the world outside
of Russia, addressed himself TO the
peasants of his native land. In a
poignantly simple manifesto, whose
brevity is reminiscent of Abraham
Lincoln, the soviet president appealed
to every childless family to adopt an
orphan. Where this was impossible
or impracticable such family, he
pleaded. should pay to the local gov
ernment the sum required for the
upkeep of one orphan.
Peasants and workers of Russia.
President Kalinin said in this mani
festo, with your efforts the appan-
ing problems of Russia's children
must be met. The little orphans, the
homeless, sick, hungry children must
be given some sort of physical and
mental security. Their crying needs
must be met. They must be educat-
ed: they must be brought up to be
honest working men and decent
people LET us collect substantial
fund in money, provisions and ar
ticles of clothing, fund which Will
enable us to increase the number of
our childrens homes and schools"