SAVE OUR CHILDREN.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4403, 19 April 1922, Page 2

SAVE OUR CHILDREN.

STARVING RUSStAi PAEROA CAMPAIGN. SITNDAY EVENING LECTURE. Harrowing oral pictures of the sufferings of millions of starving Russians, especially of the women and children, were drawn by Mr Richards, of Auckland (Auckland Russian Famine Relief Fund Committee), in the Ohinemuri County Council Chambers last evening. The Rev. F. McDonald presided. In presenting the speaker the Rev. McDonald said that though we may not agree with the catises of the distress, nevertheless, as Christian people, it was our duty to relieve suffering when appeal was made.

Mr Richards said the reason of the Auckland committee coming into being was that ’the response to the appeal made by Mn J. H. Gunson, Mayor, had not been responded to very widely, hence .the lecturing campaign, which was non-tpblitical and non-sectarian. All funds were sent through Mr Gep. Landsbury, editor of the Daily Herald (London.), and thence through Dr. Nansen to the poor people needing relief. In three an 1 a-half years Russia lost 3% millions killed in war, and there were 550,000 war orphans. The blockade of her ports and other war measures throttled the country. Only a portion of the vast country, that of the Volga Valley, was under the control of the Soviet Government; there were four other governments controlling the total area affected. Dr. Nansen had described the situation as "the worst famine in the history of man.” The Volga Valley was 800 miles long and 300 miles wide, and was desolate, not even a blade of grass growing. Over 1% million people perished within six weeks of famine and typhoid. In one district the peasants were nedenvouring to subsist on dogs, rats, lizards, birds ; 70 per cent, of the crop was a total failure, and the other 30 per cent, yielded only nine pounds of grain per acre. Sir Philip Gibbs had described the plight of 300 000 children who were getting barely enough to keep body and soul together, even though’ X%d per day would save an adult and a child; or eight saved for a. shilling. Sir Philip saw children fed on brpad made o* dry leaves and yellow clay. In another district, where the people were dying like flies by hundreds, the joy of the children at the sight of food was touching to see. Miss Thorpe had given harrowing descriptions of scenes she had witnessed in Russia, as had also Miss Fry, the noted Red Cross, nurse. In one case the authorities selected one child but of four, from a number of 70,000, these being the strongest ones, the other three having to be left to starve, as there was* not an ounce of food to spare' for. them—not a fraction pf an ounce. Children and adults rummaged the garbage heaps for food, and everywhere death by starvation was occurring on a wholesale scale. Mr Arthur Watts, general secretary of the Society of Friends, reported that IS million people in one district must die of starvation. Ninety per cent, of the children from one to three years of age had died of starvation.

The Russians had made great efforts of' organisation to securq and distribute food, 16 shiploads being railed within three days of the boats arriving. AH eyewitnesses testified that the food went forward without loss from any cause. The Australian State Governments had given donations, an<) the speaker could not understand why the New’ Zealand Government did not follow suit. The donation by the Government of large quantities of foodstuffs would actually improve the market conditions for our produce, by removing surplus supplies. The speaker told of an instance where parents* had brought their children to a relief depot, left them there, and themselves walked bank to the cemetery to lay down and die, and so be relieved of the torture of hunger. / HEART-RENDING APPEAL.

The following is a copy of a tetter the lecturer read : , A tetter from the Volga district, signed'by forty Jone mothers. Some had signed in ink, eleven with a stump of a pencil, and nine had made a mark with •some little instrument dipped in their own blood. The letter said, in part": “Save our children I O for the mercy of the ble.ssed Jesus wiho loved the little ones—save our children! We should feel warm this winter in our nakedness if we knew our children had clothes; we ’ should feel well fed, dying from hunger if we knew our children had food. We will gladly die, it is best that we shout! die-if only our children may live. 0 mothers, Christian mothers, save our children I Save our children !” After discussion it was decided Mr Richards give an address after church hours in the Central Theatre on Sunday night The “Gazette” will- be pleased to acknowledge and forward subscriptions to the Fund.