Feeding the Hungry, P. C. Hiebert, 1929

answer the summons for them at the county seat, Takmak. We arrived, were very cordially received by the official, then discussed several matters relative to the feeding program in which he was very much inter- ested. When we thought the opportune time had come, we presented the case of these men, whereupon we were informed that these men, particularly the manager of our supply house, were under suspicion, which in their VIZUALIZING FAMINE CONDITIONS 259 eyes usually meant conviction, of having stolen a large amount of the American food-supply and diverted the same to their personal use. We explained that we would at once investigate this matter, but until we had evidence and proof that the theft had actually occurred, we could not very well spare the man, and should they arrest both of our men involved, we would very likely be obliged to interrupt our feeding program until new arrangements could be made. This latter action he wished to avoid by all means, for he knew that the general public would not stand for a wanton arrest which stopped the feeding of several thousand of the inhabitants, so he gave us imme- diate promise of consideration. We thanked him and visited a few other villages where we inspected the kitch- ens and made adjustments as needed; and when we re- turned to Halbstadt that evening, we were greeted with the news that the men already had received word that they would not be required to come to Takmak, but that it would be possible to settle the matter right at their homes. CLOTHING DISTRIBUTION IN RUSSIA CHAPTER VII C. E. Krehbiel “IT was naked, and ye clothed me.” Matt. 25:26. Kitchen feeding in Russia reached its crest in June, 1922, but the need for clothing became more urgent from that time. Some clothing had been distributed in the spring of 1922, but not nearly enough to meet the need. When it became evident that there would be much suffer- ing in the winter of 1922-23 unless much clothing was given out, a special report of conditions was sent to America. As a result packages of clothing, large and small, were gathered together from all parts of the U. S. and Canada, and in the fall of 1922 by far the largest shipment of clothing was on its way to Russia. On November 1, 1922 a message reached Alexan- drowsk in the Ukraine stating that a large shipment of clothing had arrived at Odessa for the American Men- nonite Relief (A.M.R.) and it was arranged that I take several men and go after it. Enough happened on the way to fill the space allotted to me here, and more. A RED Fourth; Guests of the Gub; A Night with Rats, Bedbugs, and Vodka; On a Soviet Truck at Night in the Mud When the Lights Go Out and the Drive-chain Breaks; Seasickness en Masse; Hiking Hotel Rates and Railroad Fares, etc., might be interesting topics for enter- tainment; but we were not out for entertainment—we were face to face with merciless facts, and these other CLOTHING DISTRIBUTION