Feeding the Hungry, P. C. Hiebert, 1929

iving. All the others lie covered with the cold earth, most of them having died for want of food.” The first authentic and direct information from Russia was brought by the “Studien Kommission” con- sisting of the four delegates of the Russian brethren to the outside world, namely Benj. Unruh and A. A. Friesen of Halbstadt, K. H. Warkentin, Waldheim, and John Esau, of Ekaterinanslaw, South Russia. These awakened the American Mennonites to the realization of the dire need of their brethren abroad, and showed them their duty of giving material aid to an extent that they had not thought possible. These men were dispatched from their home country before the collapse of the Wrangel regime and came with A FEEDING THE HUNGRY the story of the atrocities of the revolution and counter revolutions as well as the ravages of the terrible diseases that swept away thousands in Russia; but they had not experienced the famine which afterwards visited their people in Russia. The mass of the people in America were much interested and very anxious to hear what these men had to report of conditions abroad, but not all reacted to these reports in the same way. Some few, who were socialis- tically inclined, defended the revolution as the natural and just sequence of the despotism and oppression of the three centuries of the Romanoff rule; while others could see only the wrong of the immediate outrages and condemned everything without reserve; others again, who had per- sonal friends or relatives still living in Russia, thought most of their welfare and plied the delegates with all sorts of questions. Since several of the delegates had been public men of large acquaintance in Russia, it was possible for them to furnish a great deal of personal information which was appreciated very much by those particularly interested. But however much the reactions to the report may have differed, on one point practically all were agreed, and that was that we must and we want to send help at our earliest opportunity. In their reporting and interest-awakening capacity these four delegates visited most of the larger Mennonite settlements in America. As men of experience and insight, they suggested, organized, and united relief-work wherever they went. This brought good fruit and became the starting point for an organization including representatives from all the larger branches of Mennonites in America, as we shall more fully relate in the chapter on the history of the Mennonite Central Committee. The Mennonite papers of this country quite generally took up the cause of relief. They helped to create interest FOOD PACKAGES Such as were distributed in Germany and Austria by Americans before the great famine in Russia. Contents: 2414 lbs. flour, 10 lbs. rice, 8& lbs. bacon, 8 tins condensed milk. FAMISHED CHILDREN FROM AUSTRIA These were enroute to Switzerland being quartered for the night at Lausanne. a vy, Mv L