Feeding the Hungry, P. C. Hiebert, 1929

uted to the careful, prompt and conscientious work of our efficient Secretary-Treasurer, Bro. Levi Mu- maw. In a letter to an official of the Brethren Church, F. C. Page of New York, a prominent official of the A.R.A., writes the following: “Our suggestion to you would be, that if the General Mission Board of the Church of the Brethren desires to give relief to the people in Russia, particularly along recon- struction lines, that they make some arrangement with the Mennonite Central Committee, and lend them your hearty cooperation, for they are indeed doing a most excellent piece of work.” VI. ORGANIZING Forces For AcTIvVE WorkK IN RUSSIA As soon as final arrangements had been completed to affiliate with the A.R.A., and the way was open to send food and transmit money, the need of more help in Russia was evident to Director Miller and to the committee here, so it was decided to send two men, already in Europe, who were available, immediately to the assistance of Miller at Moscow. The first of these, A. W. Slagel, who was waiting at Constantinople with the accumulated sup- plies and ready to move as soon as his papers could be cleared, was instructed to load both clothing and food on board ship and to start at once for a Black Sea port, preferably Odessa; the other man selected, was D. R. Hoeppner, who was working for the Emergency Relief Committee of the Mennonites of N. A. in the distribution of food and clothing in Central Europe. This action was 66 FEEDING THE HUNGRY taken by the Executive Committee before the Christmas holidays of 1921. At the meeting of the Mennonite Central Committee at Chicago on Dec. 30, 1921, the Committee for the first time in its history could say, ‘Now the way is open for us to reach the place where the need is great. Now is our opportunity to work, both in the line of helping to raise more funds and in arranging and providing for efficient distribution of the same.” It was agreed that the budget be raised to a minimum of $15,000.00 per month, because the magnitude of the need was becoming more and more evident to all. Constantinople still required some aid and Russia needed all and more than we could hope to raise. Now the opportunity for the proper functioning of the Mennonite Central Committee had arrived. There was a real, and a great work to do. Even though the work at Constantinople was still necessary, the need in Russia far exceeded the need there; and since our funds were so limited, it was thought best by a majority of the committee that the work in Constan- tinople should be discontinued as soon as possible and our whole effort directed toward the first and greatest goal of our relief attempts, South Russia. To close down the large work in Constantinople and to inaugurate a still larger work in Russia required a great deal of care and circumspection, especially so, because the committee here was not sufficiently informed to act with confi