Feeding the Hungry, P. C. Hiebert, 1929

his evident knowledge of the European situation, in general outline and particular de- tail, had made a profound impression on us. Arriving at Paris, I hastened to call the American Relief Administration office in London by long distance telephone to confirm the newspaper report and to ask for an interview. The report was confirmed. Lyman Brown, the chief of the organization in Europe, was to leave Lon- don in a day or two and could see me if I could come at once. Later it would probably be impossible. Hurrying to the Place de l’Opera, I secured passage on one of the regular passenger line aeroplanes scheduled to arrive in London in time for the engagement. The cost was about the same as by train and boat. It was a six passenger aeroplane and the flight across the English Channel was uneventful and comparatively slow because of very strong head winds. At the office of the American Relief Administration there was an eager interest in Russia. As we had but re- cently returned from our trip to the Black Sea region, many inquiries concerning transportation facilities there, were made by Philip H. Carroll, who was already devising plans for the handling of shiploads and trainloads of food supplies. To Mr. Brown I explained the nature of our own organization and of our intention of making an ar- rangement with the Soviet Government to work in Russia at the earliest possible time. However, I felt it would be a mistake to open negotiations at Moscow before the con- clusion of the American Relief Administration agreement. He was of the same opinion. This meeting with Brown was exceedingly important because it acquainted his or- UNSEALING THE CLOSED DOOR 119 ganization with the fact that our representatives had al- ready entered Russia and were cordially received in the South, and that we definitely planned to carry on work in our own name. It also gave the advance personal contact with the man who was the head of their organization in all Europe. Then too, Carroll was later on to be the first man in charge of the work in Russia and was also for a considerable time the head of the supply department through which the food supplies were delivered to our organization. Had I arrived in Paris two days later Brown could not have been seen; or a week earlier and there would have been no inkling of the movement on foot. The next important step was to get from the Soviet Mission in London the visa for Russia. We could not hope to enter Russia from the North, without an official permit, as we had done in the South. It was generally reported to be very difficult to obtain the visa—difficult even to see the officials authorized to grant it. Fortu- nately, the Friends International Service Committee, the Quaker relief organization, then operating in Moscow, had through their fair dealing, their straightforwardness and fine, Christian-spirited humanitarianism won the confi- dence of the Soviet Government.