Feeding the Hungry, P. C. Hiebert, 1929

rs of the Ukraine. Here was a man of average size, clean shaven, dark hair, lashing dark eyes, smooth in manner, with the polish of a man of the world. He was well educated and spoke French fluently, but neither English nor German. He refused to grant diplomatic privileges to relief workers or to our couriers in crossing boundaries, but suggested granting the courtesies usually extended to Red Cross workers. After several more meetings with Yermostchenka and another with Racovsky, the contract was quickly whipped into shape. Although this contract guaranteed $25,000.00 worth of supplies, it did not obligate our organization beyond the $50,000.00 stated in the Moscow agreement, because the Ukraine was included there. In the selection of re- gions of work we were given full freedom, and the right to bring in the necessary personnel; but the Government was very emphatic in forbidding political, commercial, journalistic, or religious activity. One very important feature of this contract was article 15, which excluded the local officials from representation in the relief committees, and reserved that privilege to the central Government at Kharkow and its representatives. In this way we were able to reduce to a minimum the hostile interference of local officials. A new feature was included in this contract. An appendix was added providing for the delivery of special food packages—food remittances—from donors to in- dividuals and groups in the Ukraine, named by the donor, in amounts of ten to fifty dollars. It was held in mind that a very large number of Mennonites, Lutherans, Jews, and others in the Ukraine had close relatives in America who would wish to contribute not only to the general feeding fund, but would also be ex- 162 FEEDING THE HUNGRY tremely anxious to provide food for their own relatives. The general feeding was to be done in special kitchens in order to avoid complications and misuse of supplies, but these food packages could be delivered directly to the family or party designated by the donor. Such a plan had been used very effectively by the American Relief Admin- istration in Western Europe, and it was from there that I had borrowed the general idea. The Government, recognizing that this would increase the amount of food for the country, was fully in accord with the plan. Un- fortunately, this feature was not developed to any great extent. Had it been, we could generally have delivered the food packages many months before the congested con- dition of the A.R.A. food remittance department made delivery possible. When the contract was finally ready for signature, it was carefully typewritten on a large folded sheet of very heavy paper. In Moscow the agreement had been signed by the chairman of a committee acting on behalf of the Government. In the Ukraine it was signed on the 20th day of October, 1921, by the two highest officials of the Government—by B. Yermostchenka on