Feeding the Hungry, P. C. Hiebert, 1929

a certain portion of the work connected with the weaving industry, either to wash the wool, spin the threads, or 310 FEEDING THE HUNGRY weave the cloth. The cloth was the property of the A.M.R. and distribution was made according to the needs in the villages, which included generally those who did the work. By the end of the year the greater number of villages had taken up the plan and were busy spinning and weaving, thereby securing for themselves the necessary food and at the same time producing clothing for the population. This may appear as though we were resort- ing back to primitive methods and ancient modes of liv- ing, and it was; but where civilization, including all accu- mulated wealth and means of exchange of products have been ruthlessly destroyed, the desire to live prompts peo- ple to resort to any way or means of supplying the ne- cessities of life. CONCLUDING REMARKS Reconstruction in Russia is still far from being com- pleted. That will take many more years as will be evident to any one familiar with what has happened in that country during the last ten years. The aid given by the American brethren, as briefly stated in this chapter, was. necessarily very limited, considering the great need and the large number concerned. It was but a temporary relief to tide the people over a crisis, to give them a chance to find themselves, to gain new courage and to enable them to take over the heavy burden of rehabilita- tion. Reports and pleas from Russia have ceased to come in as they did a few years ago, and one is inclined to think that all is now well—that prosperity has returned as a result of the “great Experiment,” as one of the Russian leaders has found convenient to call the revolu- tion and the Soviet regime. It would be far from correct to think that normal conditions of pre-war days had re- turned, yet we gladly concede that conditions are now less strained than they were during the first years following RECONSTRUCTION WORK IN RUSSIA 311 the revolution. This improvement has been helped along by a number of factors, among which we might mention the following: 1. Crops have been better, more acreage is culti- vated since famine has passed and the thought and interest of people is no longer so much occupied with revolution and the fear of bandits; and further it has been possible to accumulate some reserves which can be transported to placcs short in food products. 2. Emigration to other countries, especially to Can- ada has materially helped by reducing the number of inhabitants that had to be fed from the limited allott- ments of land. Remembering that over 18,000 Menno- nites have emigrated to Canada alone out of a total population of about 100,000, we can readily see that the effect must have been quite evident. 4. Reconciliation to one’s fate has ever been a most effective means of relieving strained feelings, which made conditions appear unbearable at