RETURNING TO PARENTS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 716, 16 December 1933, Page 7

RETURNING TO PARENTS

LOST RUSSIAN CHILD I | j RED CROSS SOCIETY'S EFFORTS j TO EFFECT RE-UNION • OF FAMILY j 5 : COMING TO FOXTON The success which has attended the efforts of the Red Cross Society in securing the return of a Russian child to her parents in Foxton, after a lapse of over 12 years, is in a large measure due to the untiring efforts jof Mr. M. S. Galloway, secretary to i the Wellington braneh of the Red \Cross' Society. While on a visit to ,'the returned soldiers' invalid hospital in Hobson street in 1928, in the • course of his duties, Mr. Galloway gave a little talk on Red Cross matters, in v/hich he emphasised the international eharacter of the organisation, and how it could help to clear up matters of a humanitarian nature between nations. Mr. Galloway Was taken at his word. One of the patients mentioned

that his neighbours in the Foxton district included members of the Botaroff family, who at the time of the Russian revolution had been compelled to fly from the country, as their sympathies were against the Bolshevik regime. They made their way across Siberia, and being harassed and oppressed in every way by those in authority, they lost an infant daughter, one Galina Botaroff, and try as they would could find no trace of b.er in the then chaotic state of the country. At length they had reluctantly to give up their quest and flee for their lives. Eventually they made their way out of Siberia to the Orient, and later came and settled in New Zealand. The mother had never ceased to grieve over the loss oi their little girl, and the invalid soldier said it would be splendid if the Red Cross Socict:/ could locate the girl and restore her to her parents. Mr. Galloway at once took up the • case. He first of all secured all particulars from the parents of their retreat from Russia, and where they had lost their baby girl. These particulars were transmitted at once to the headquarters of the Red Cross Society at Paris, and they, in turn, f orwarded them on to ' Red Cross people at Moscow. Although the quest seemed wellnigh hopeless, the Russian Red Cross got to work, and on January 1 last succeeded in finding the girl in the village of Stravinsk, in Siberia. They related in correspondence that some difficulty was experienced at first, as the folk who were caring for her imagined that she was wanted for a purpose not altogether to her advantage, but ^vhen it was explained that the Red Cross Society was making the inquiries for the sole purpose of restoring the girl to her parents^ they gave all 'assistance. Then further trouble arose. The autboiities wanted £100 before they would issue a passport to the young woman, which fact was conveyed to Wellington through Red Cross channels. Mr. Galloway then made an appeal to the Hon. J. G. Coates, then Acting-Prime Minister Avitb the request that be should see what could -be done through Government agency. Mr. Coates communicated with the British Government, which through its Ambassador induced the Russian Government to forego its demand. That matter being cleared up, the Red Cross Society offered to pay the girl's fare (£80) to New Zealand, 'and to assist Mr. Galloway made an appeal for assistance in that direction. The response was liberal, over £120 being subseribed. To the fare 25 per cent exchange had to be added. An appeal was made to the Associated Banks to forego this amount, but this they found they were unable to do so. In order to help, however, they circularised their staffs, and an amount was subseribed toward the exchange. Word has now been received in Wellington to the effe'ct that Galina Botaroff had reached Yokohama, in 'Japan, en routc for New Zealand and fbarring any untoward happening she could be expected to arrive in New 'Zealand about Christmas time.