Feeding the Hungry, P. C. Hiebert, 1929

ssing through Central Europe to Constanti- nople. 1. Meeting with the Relief Committee of the Hollanders In five days all was ready and we left for The Hague of Holland, where we were met at the pier by Dr. War- kentin, who had advance notice of our coming. He pro- vided quarters for us and took us out to meet the Relief 70 FEEDING THE HUNGRY Committee of the Holland Mennonites, who had arranged for a session of their committee with us to discuss the questions of relief work in which we were all interested. We appreciated the opportunity to attend one of their committee meetings. Things were handled in a little more perfunctory and formal way than we were accustomed to in our sessions, yet everything was very well done and we can only express our appreciation of the consideration that they accorded us. I extended to them the greetings of the Mennonite Central Committee to which they cordially responded. After formalities were over we turned to our discussions, which concerned chiefly the tractor and seed grain propo- sitions. We suggested that they, the Hollanders, were perhaps more favorably located to take charge of the supplying of seed grain and garden seeds, which point they promptly recognized and acknowledged. They already had personnel at Varna, Bulgaria, near which place they can purchase grains, which left but a short transport to bring them over to a South Russian port. They also reported that they were interested in some second hand tractors in Roumania, but when I told them the propositions from Ford and the International people they were favorably impressed. What interested me most was their method of financing. This they hoped to accomplish through the organization of a syndicate, and the selling of shares. These were to bear six per cent interest until 1924. After that in addition to the interest small payments were supposed to be made, on the basis of a certain percent of the crop. They hoped to interest the bankers both of Holland and England in the project. What would become of it remained to be seen. 2. Conference with Mennonite Representatives at Berlin In Berlin a meeting was arranged with Mr. J. Esau, and Benj. Unruh both members of the Russian delegation THE MENNONITE CENTRAL COMMITTEE iA to America, with whom was associated Alex. Fast, am authorized delegate from the Kuban Mennonites. At this meeting the following points were discussed: a. The status of the Russian relief operations. b. The problem of caring for Russian refugees in Germany. It was generally and very emphatically urged, that even though we give up the base at Constantinople, we should by all means arrange to care for the refugees at some convenient part in the Black Sea region. Since: the Dutch Mennonites have their supply base at Varna,. it was thought that perhaps that would be an advanta-- geous place where we, together with the Holland Men-- nonites, could provide a haven of r