Feeding the Hungry, P. C. Hiebert, 1929

d- erates. Both Peter Froese and Cornelius Klassen were ad- mirably suited for their task. It is doubtful whether two other men could have been found among all the Russian 178 FEEDING THE HUNGRY Mennonites who would have been able to do the work required, and endure its nerve-racking strain as did these two young men. ‘Their achievements are monumental. And yet, in spite of all the hard fought struggles with Government leaders, with malicious underlings, with dis- sensions also among their own groups, they have remained courageously at their posts continuously as representatives of the Mennonites during more than eight years—when even the Communist party leadership shifted and broke, sending some of the most prominent former Government officials into exile. However, our first conversations had made it clear to me that although these two experienced men would be of inestimable value in our relief organization, it would not be wise at that time to have them take part in the pre- liminary negotiations and the making of our contract. They were too much in the thick of the fight. Some un- fortunate turn in their own affairs might react disastrously on ours. There might be repeated interference. For instance, not long afterwards, their bookcases containing the records of their work and similar documents were suddenly locked by Government agents and sealed with the Government seal. However, after some days of protest and appeal to one of the highest officials, orders were given for the immediate removal of the seals. So it came about that our negotiations with the Gov- ernments at Moscow and Kharkow were carried on with- out the help of Froese, Klassen, and Janz. The language difficulties also stood in the way because my work was all in English, which they could not read, and the Govern- ment copies were in Russian, which I could not understand. But it was necessary to send some one into the Volga districts to organize in a preliminary way our relief work there. Cornelius Klassen was appointed to do this and was provided with the required “mandate,” signed and UNSEALING THE CLOSED DOOR 179 rubber stamped. During my journey to Germany he was busy in the Volga valley settlements, as was Janz in the Ukraine, gathering data and organizing committees. Our contact with Janz has already been described in an earlier chapter. WAITING Over a month and a half was spent at Moscow and Kharkow in contract making. If we could then have be- gun our field work immediately, as should have been done, our neediest centers could all have been operating within a month. Those Mennonites and others who finally died of starvation in the communities later occupied by us, could all have been saved from weeks of slow death. This month and a half included days and days of agonizing waiting. ‘Then began another period of waiting for de- velopments in America. Three relief contracts had been signed, one in M