Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1930-09-25
Panic In Russia
(THE MONTANA S~TANDARD)

The Union Of Soviet Republics, as Russia is now
technically known, is not in exactly q Utopian condi-
ton. Unemployment is general, and food at any price
is scarce. SO grave is the situation that the Soviet
government has engaged the services of Colonel Walter
L. Bell Of New York City to go over there and super
intend the distribution of food and supply meals to the
hungry on a sort of a massed production basis. This
entails the preparation and distribution of 10, 900 meals
at a time. Colonel Bell will be remembered as an as
sistant of Herbert Hoover during the war and later was
in charge of Russian relief, on which this country spent
millions of dollars and, incidentally, received little
thanks or appreciation. The Russians constantly in
situated that we had some sinister purpose in helping
out the distressed people at that time and regarded our
philanthropy with cynical suspicion.
Russians who are working at all receive rela-
lively $27.O a week in the government factories and
other enterprises. There is little meat TO be had at any
price. Butter of very poor quality costs $3.50 a pound.
A chicken costs SIS and a small cauliflower costs $3.50.
The entire livestock of Russia has been depleted so
per cent. When Dictator Stain announced two years
ago the communication of agriculture, peasants with
herds began ~butchering their stock, keeping only a
milk COW or two for family uses. Any stock in excess
Of the family needs was 10 be confiscated to the nation.
Farmers could not see the philosophy of raising cattle
which would be taken away from them when when ma
tured. The same situation existed with sheep ard
swine. Today Russia is facing q meatless wsnter.
The reaction of the peasants to this confiscatory
program was SO pronounced that Stain rescinded his
first order, but the damage had already been done. The
wheat crop, though a generous one this year, was ma
terally reduced for the same reasons, so that white
bread will shortly become a luxury. 1t is admitted now
that the Russians will have to go through the winter
on black bread. Whether or not Colonel Bell and an
other American expert, Gen. J. Leslie Kinkaid, can make
this go around until next harvest is the problem con-
fronting them. With a short-sightedness at variance
with an idealistic program. Russia actually exported
great quantities of this years wheat before it real
lied the gravity of the present situation. DR.. Samuel
N. Harper, professor of Russian history at the Univer-
sity Of Chicago, returning from his fourteenth visit
to Russia, declared last week: II have never seen such
abject poverty such drunkenness or so many beggars
in any European or American city as exists today in
Leningrad and Moscow" Confirming this is a state
ment of Joseph Toole, labor member of the British
parliament, who returned from Russia last week and
said: "Prices have reached such fantastic levels as to
suggest deliberate initiation and profiteering; there is
a shortage in the most elementary necessities Of life.
All food stuffs are rationed-"
Russia has come to America with every one
of its problems, Of which the ration of food through
this coming winter is the latest. The extent to which
Russia needs American advice and service is shown in
smuch as it hired and is now employing 1900 Am
erican experts of various kinds at salaries double those
usually earned by them in America. There seems to
be a silent and sullen luminosity existing between the
rural districts and the cities, with the farmer-peasant
absolutely refusing to grow or provide food for the
residents Of cities, where food is not produced. This
condition, it is predicted, will eventually cause civil
war in Russia and possibly the overthrow of the pres
ent dictatorship.