Feeding the Hungry, P. C. Hiebert, 1929

party who feared that the famished hordes would band together, not only to ravage the coun- UNSEALING THE CLOSED DOOR 141 tryside, but as an overwhelming tidal wave to engulf the whole Bolshevik regime. On the other hand, there was bitter chagrin at having been forced to accept terms so humiliating to them because contrary to their policies; for the contract stipulated that the control of the food supplies must be in the hands of the Americans. That was so sharply in opposition to the paternalistic policy of the Government, according to which it was itself to be the distributor of everything—not only relief supplies but also all the necessities of life. The feeling was further aggravated by the fact that the help was to come from America, one of the most capitalistic of countries. Soon after my arrival in Moscow I had made the ac- quaintance of Arthur Watts, who was in charge of the Friends (Quakers) Relief work in Russia. With two of his brothers I had become acquainted while in the Friends work in France. The office of the Friends was in the Savoy Guest House where my room was located. At his office I called frequently. Before my arrival he had learned that the Mennonites were seeking to work in Russia and he was ready to arrange for us to take part in the Quaker activities, or to help us otherwise. Watts gave me a copy of a memorandum from the Soviet Gov- ernment to the Friends, ‘““On Openings for Relief Work by the American Friend’s Service Committee” in Russia, which includes the following: “The Soviet authorities therefore, insist that all re- lief should be administered under the control of their state organizations................ through the various commis- sariats.”” These conditions precluded the possibility of our or- ganization working under the Friends’ arrangement. My experience in relief work in western Europe, in Constanti- nople, and especially in Russia, disrupted by revolution and class hatred, had convinced me of the absolute neces- 142 FEEDING THE HUNGRY sity of our organization retaining complete control of its supplies. When I explained to Watts my delays and difficulties in meeting the proper officials, he suggested that it might be well to see Mr. Semaschko, the Commissar of Health, to propose a limited program of health work in the Crimea where there was special interest just then. I did so. Semaschko was interested, but suggested that I should confer with Tchitcherin. ‘To facilitate arranging for a meeting, he gave me a note of introduction to Tchitcherin. Thus equipped and with an outline of our proposals I went back once more to the Foreign Office, not to Wein- stein, but direct to one of Tchitcherin’s secretaries who took my letter into an inner office while I waited outside. I did not see Tchitcherin. After a while the secretary returned everything to me with the explanation that Tchit- cherin was not occupying himself with relief matters, and