FAMINE IN RUSSIA.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 115, 17 May 1922, Page 10

FAMINE IN RUSSIA.

CAMPAIGN FOR RELIEF. j I.KtTURK HY Ml>> THOUP. Conditions prevailing in fhe poverty-1 stricken areas of Ktirope. and particu-' larly in- Samara. 1 he districts round the | Volga, were forcibly re.ealed by Miss' .Margaret Thorp, iv ihe course of a lee-i turc delivered in the Town Hall last, evening, in aid of the Russian l-'aininr l-'iiiid. There was a very large attendance, and Miss- Thorp's remarks were | followed throughout with deep interest.! The Mayor (Mr. J. 11. Cnnsoni who j presidefl. stated such- an appeal as the ■ present did not come for the first time. I Last Septenlberi the Lord Mayor of London, cabled asking for support to the j fund. 'The appeal then did not meet with | the response on the part of the Auckland f citizens ihat had been given to other J war appeals, iji the present instance he felt it was his duty to preside over the meeting on humanitarian ground.-, which should not lightly be ignored. Assurance was given that the fund to be collected would reach its destination. It would be remitted to the New Zealnnd Government, which-.would forward it on to the authorities in London, and ultimately it would bo devoted to the suffering humanity for".which it was subscribed.

Miss Thorp... who lias been for nearly three, years engaged on famine relief for the' "Society of Friends, was warmly received. The and reconstruction work in stricken Europe, she said, was a practical..application of the principles of Christ. Shi' thought that after realising conditions in Europe the audience would be iii a better position to understand and help intelligently.

Miss Thorp traversed the work of the Society of Friends in Europe, and illustrated with the assistance of lantern slides the conditions under which the unfortunate .sufferers were existing and the measures/ for relief which were being carried out. ' .Miss Thorp dealt at length with the distress caused hy the famine in Samara, and showed the effects it had on the children, whose stunted forms and wizened faces testified too sadly to the severity of their Bufferings. So scant was food that the people searched the rubbish heaps to stay the gnawings of hunger. The horror of it till was particularly revealed in a few slides which showed the dead emaciated bodies of children buried in groups, so great was the death-rate. The famine had carried off 00 per cent of these children under three years in the province of Samara.

The following resolution was moved hy Miss E. Melville, and seconded by the Key. Jasper (.'alder: "That in view of the urgent need in Russia, this meeting of Auckland citizens urge the New Zealand Government to assist the Lord Mayor's appeal by every means in its power."' The resolution was carried unanimously.

On the motion of Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M., seconded by Mr. C. H. Furnessl it was also unanimously resolved: -'That iii response to the national appeal made hy the Lord Mayor of London in connection With the Russian famine a Citizens' Committee lie formed, to assist in the raising of funds to be transmitted lo Sir Benjamin Robertson, chairman of the co-ordinated fund, through the New Zealand Government, the said committee to consist of the following persons, with power to add to their number: Mr! K. C. Cutten, S.M.. Mr. Chas. I Nathan, Rev. Father Holbrook, Rev. Lamb, Harvey, Dr. J. Howard Lawry, Rev! W. U. Monckton. Mr. H. Dearsley, Mr. J. \Y. AVisemani. Mr. C. H. Furneee, Rev. Lionel Harvie, Mr. C. D. M. McLean, Mr. L. S. Rickerby, Rev. S. A. Goldstein', Mr. C. Solomon, Mr. L. A. Maunder Mr' It. X Taylor." A vote of thanks was accorded to Mr. Gtinsoii, and also to -Miss Thorp for her very able lecture. A collection was taken up at the conclusion of the meeting, the sum of ill.jj being subscribed.