Evening star., 1933-09-22
RICH SOVIET CROPS
HALT STARVATION
Grain Yield Expected to Pre-.
vent Recurrence of
Past Famines.
Dy the Associated Press.

Dy the Associated Press.
MOSCOW, September 22-Soviet Rus
Bia now has q grain crop 50 rich as to
prevent any possible recurrence this
year Of food shortage that recently
caused many deaths Of humans and
cattle.
This was apparent during q weeks
tour just completed by the Associated
PreSs correspondent in the Ukraine and
North Caucasus, Russia's huge bread
baskets
Alexander Asatkin. chief of the po-
litical sections in the Ukraine. in a
formal interview at Kharkof estimated
the percentage of deaths in his area
last Winter and Spring from causes re-
lated to undernourishment.
Figures Are CensoredI
The censor in Moscow, however, re-
fused to permit the transmission Of
Asatkin's figures to America on the
grounds that they were mot oticial,"
although they were considerably less
than the millions" reported abroad.
The mortality Of cattle and horses
was extrmely heavy" said the official
An unusually large number Of peas
ants feft the region, seeking better con-
dltions, but many OF them have now
returned"
Scattered sections of the peasantry
IN both districts chiefly those who ac-
lively or passively opposed COLLECTIVE
cation and whose inertia was mainly
responsible for last years inadequate
crop. were the principal sufferers
But all official sources approached
regarding the probable death toll in
North Caucasus refused any informa-
tlon beyond saying that conditions
were bad"
NaVarf &c
government had sent thousands of tons
OF grain to provide food and seed for
the collective farms both in the Ukraine
and North Caucasus
IhoSe peasants who remained, fur
thermore, subSisted through the Winter
and Spring on the scantiest of bread
rations. with little, if any, meat and
potatoes.
Cities Escape :.
Cities seemed to have escaped acute
distress. although in Kharkoff, the
>Ukralnian capital. a large industrial
center, the bread rations were cut to
one-third in the early Spring
In Rostov-on-Don, the capital Of the
fertile North Caucasus. trading in the
private market on which city residents
piles, ceased altogether in March and
Aprll-the first time in years-because
the peasants had nothing to sell.
THE trouble was that many peasants
thought the government would take
care Of them once they had joined the
collectives, regardless of whether they
worked" Asatkin explained
Il think We have now taught them
that this is not true and that those
who won't work won't eat.
I'VE are not going to stand for loaf
ers and the sooner the peasants find
this out the better it will be for them"
Declared Victory.
That the government successfully ad-
ministered that lesson is indicated by
the speed with which the present crop
IS coming in under the spur Of the
political sections now controlling all
agriculture.
The peasants generally are clearing
up the last stages of the harvest and
seem to have forgotten their past trou-
bles under the balm of bumper crop
Private markets in the cities are
now bulging with seasonal produce and
officials exult over what they regard as
a decisive victory over the peasantry
Only the rough and freshly hewn
crosses dotting the village graveyard
and some deserted huts in most of the
villages remain as scars of the recent
difficulties