DESCRIBES CONDITIONS OF FAMINE IN RUSSIA

When interviewed for the CRIMSON yesterday, Professor A. C. Coolidge '87, who recently returned from Russia, where he has been engaged in relief work, gave a brief outline of the famine conditions there and the means that are being taken to combat them.

Professor Coolidge spent six-months in Russia where he acted as special representative and chief of the Liaison Division of the American Relief Administration. Though the work took him over several parts of the country, he spent most of his time in Moscow occupied in the direct relations between the Relief Administration and the Soviet Government. He was also in charge of the repatriation of the American citizens in Russia.

Professor Coolidge said that there was no possible dispute as to the existence of a terrific famine in the country. People may differ as to the causes and the results, he added, but as to the famine itself there can be no doubt.

The American Relief Administration is doing its best with a small force to carry out a tremendous work. He pointed out that there were many difficulties, discouragements, and failures, but that a vast amount had been accomplished in relieving the suffering of millions of people, many of whom were children.

American Force Small

The American force was made up of about 100 members, and of these about 50 remained in Moscow. But aside from this organization there were perhaps 30,000 or 40,000 Russians assisting in the work, many of them volunteers in their local communities and many of them attendants paid by the Government. Though there were other nations participating in the relief work, the American organization, Mr. Coolidge said, carried on about nine-tenths of the foreign work. He added that the Soviet Government itself was doing extensive work of their own in the way of relief, and that it was carried on on a larger scale than could be handled by foreign relief administrations. He pointed out that many of the Government supplies were from the United States, but that there was a large quantity of commodities brought in from other parts of Russia.

The Relief Administration is working in cooperation with the Red Cross, the Y. M. C. A., and many other similar bodies with the view of bringing about a more efficient organization.