THE RUSSIAN FAMINE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 17844, 27 July 1921, Page 7

THE RUSSIAN FAMINE.

MILLIONS BEYOND SUCCOUI NO TRANSPORT FOR FOOD GERMANS EXPLOIT TRAGEDY By Telegraph—Preas Association—Copyright 'Received 8.45 p.m.) &■■ and N.Z. LONDON. July 25 The Berlin correspondent of the Dail; Express states that a magnate who gainec an international reputation in the war a a food organiser, interviewed on the Rus j sian famine, expressed the opinion tha | millions of Russians are doomed to die o \ starvation. It is impossible to read j 20.000.000 of the sufferers owing to thi ! depletion of the world's supplies of fooc I and the breakdown of Russian transports j tion. Even if supplies are obtainable \ more than 1,600.000 tons of food will b< | required to meet the minimum needs o | Russia in the next three months. Tn< j only steamships available are of 5000 t< 6000 tons capacity. Russia possesses fev facilities for handling the cargoes, anc none for food distribution. The same correspondent learns that thi tragedy is being exploited by a group o: j big German banks, which is approachinj ! Russian land owners, whose land con tains minerals and coal, and is offering small sums for option to purchase then estates within a year, which period, thi Germans believe, will be sufficient to pro duce a total collapse of the Soviet regime Many impoverished refugees have accepts the offer. Others refused, but agreed tc form private companies on the basis o the Germans supplying plant and ma „chinery. Germany will thus acquire enor mous coal, oil and mineral rights, whici will enable Germany to control the world's trade. Herr Hugo Stinnes is th< leading figure in these mammoth projects.