Feeding the Hungry, P. C. Hiebert, 1929

s nego- tiated with the Ukrainian government, at Kharkow, on behalf of the American Mennonites, and a separate one for the Holland Mennonites. He then served as Director of the American Mennonite Relief in Russia from 1921 to the close of the work in 1926. From 1921 to 1923 the American Mennonite Relief was affiliated with the American Relief Administration and the director served as the Mennonite representative on the staff of Colonel William Haskell, the Director of the American Relief Administration in Russia. After the A.R.A. left Russia in the summer of 1923, Miller carried on the work under 334 FEEDING THE HUNGRY his original contract with the Soviet authorities until a new contract was made. Arthur W. Slagel. Born on January 13, 1891, at Flan- agan, Ill. Graduate of Goshen College, Goshen, Ind., in 1919. The following year he taught at Hesston College, Hesston, Kans. As a member of the first Unit sent to Russia, he sailed from New York on the steamship Prov- ence on September 1, 1920. He spent one and one half years as relief worker in Constantinople until the way opened for him to reach the brethren in Russia. Early in 1922 he accompanied the first transport of supplies from Constantinople to the Mennonite settlements in the Ukraine. While in Constantinople he acted as purchasing and transportation agent; in Russia he with A. J. Miller did the pioneer work of organizing feeding operations. He continued his work as general supervisor in the Ukraine until his return to America on September 15, 1923. Since his return he has been connected with an advertising concern in Chicago, IIl. CoMRADE TITOV A. W. Slagel In the spring of 1922 the A.M.R. had begun work in the neighborhood of Nicopol, where a number of Men- nonite villages were located, but we were unable to cover the whole section. When the A.R.A. began child-feeding operations in the South, it was mutually agreed that they take over the Nicopol section, Mennonites included, and that we try to do justice to the other territory we were occupying. Early in the month of May the A.R.A. was ready to act. We met Mr. B—, the A.R.A. District Supervisor, at Nicopol, talked things over, and decided to enlarge and strengthen the A.M.R. organization that already ex- isted there, so that work might go right on. Then we PERSONAL REMINISCENCES 335 went to see Comrade Titov, the Chief Commissar over a territory containing about 100,000 people. He knew that we were in town, and was expecting us. After the usual formalities, Mr. B— told him of our plans to begin feeding 15,000 children as soon as possible, and to in- crease that number when food supplies were available; he gave him the names of the men on the committee, and asked him to help in every way possible. Titov had a copy of the contract, and knew what the government had agreed to do. But in Nicopol Titov was “‘the Government” and he wanted us to know it. A blacksmith by