LOST SONS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17230, 9 April 1930, Page 3

LOST SONS

RUSSIAN MOTHER'S HO£E INFORMATION SOUGHT IN N.Z. Believing l that jiei; two sons who fled from Russia- during the .revolution might, be in New Zealand, their mother has addressed a pitiful appeal .to various parts of the Dominion in the hope of finding them. The' lady is Mrs. Jy. S. Sovalen, who is now resident, in Harbin, China, and her appeal, a .printed copy of which was received at the Town Hall, Dunedin, reads as follows:--"An old mother worn out with age and the fatigues of turbulent,ami deplor : able revolutionary times; in Russia is hereby inipjpriiig you to lend her your kind and generous assistance in locating her two long-lost sons, Valentine and Sergii Solvnleff, aged 16 and 14 years respectively. Until 1919■ my family- Had permanently resided at Kharkov. South Russia, but due to the innumerable sufferings and the subsequent famine both my sons were compelled to flee with tho retreating army of General Wi'iihgel, and from that time on, our contact was completely severed. , What are wordscold, impassioned, lifeless? Could they express the depth of a mother's deepest sorrow and hopcleis grief in the realisation Ihht life may end for her, homeless, abandoned, cast- oil', out of the stormy sea of lihsV Every effort was made, no stone was left unturned, days and nights were spent in endless search .for , niy boys in my own country. It seemed all hope was lost. Now fresh rumors have arisen here and there. Gossips were beard concerning the boys which leave nib to believe to Hope anew that lliey may yet be found in yoiir country. But bow am I to .search foe" my beloved sons iii. your country, having no friends, no relatives tLeic —in fact, no one through whom such an inquiry should be made! But you., sir, you who have the. means of reaching the public in general. through the, medium of your esteemed paper—it is to you that an old mother, bent under the unendurable sufferings, with broken heart, alone in this pitiles* unmerciful world, makes her passionate plea. H is your benevolent, humane help that is hunihly requested; in your hands rests the last hope of a. pxief-striekep mother. Flint Ibis letter of appeal in vour paper so that your readers may road it, II may also, chance that even my own two boys might r'ead it or some other person perhaps who knows, or has an idea of 1 mv sons' present whereabouts. Hnee'more I implore you to print this appeal. Spread if in any wav you may deem helpful, an.l mav Cod bless and reward ymi for your kind deed. Mv undying gratitude from the bottom of my heart will be forever youi's."