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The Dawson News
Dawson, Terrell County, Georgia
What is this article about?
In Russia's Volga district, despite hundreds of thousands dying from starvation over the past six months, birth rates remain high with no baby shortage. Children receive priority food aid from America, resulting in lower recent death rates among them than adults.
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DESPITE RAVAGES OF DEATH FROM STARVATION THERE IS NO BABY SHORTAGE,
BUZULUK, Russia.—There has been no baby famine in the Volga valley. Even during the six months just passed, when hundreds of thousands of adults and children have died, the stork has made a valiant fight to keep apace with the reaper. Accurate statistics are just as lacking on the birth rate as on the death rate, but an observer in the famine districts finds on every hand evidence that the peasant mothers have been fruitful even when the land was not.
The Samara district, despite the ravages of famine among children last autumn, literally swarms with infants. Thousands of new born babies, thrust upon famine stricken communities by undernourished mothers, probably have died within a few days or weeks after birth. Others are tiny living skeletons with drawn faces like old men. But most of them whom the correspondent saw at railway stations, in box cars, riding with their mothers to some more fruitful region and elsewhere, seemed plump and rosy and happy.
While the mortality among children was very high last September, they have received food from America and elsewhere since then, which the adults have not, and the death rate recently has been higher among men than among either adult women or children.
Asked why the children lived and the adults died, a bearded old peasant with clear, honest eyes shining from his weathered face said it was very simple.
"When the children cry for food we give it to them, even if it is the last we have," he said.
What sub-type of article is it?
What keywords are associated?
Where did it happen?
Foreign News Details
Primary Location
Volga District, Russia
Event Date
During The Six Months Just Passed, Last Autumn, Last September
Outcome
hundreds of thousands of adults and children have died; high mortality among children last september; recent death rate higher among men than among adult women or children
Event Details
There has been no baby famine in the Volga valley. Even during the six months just passed, when hundreds of thousands of adults and children have died, the stork has made a valiant fight to keep apace with the reaper. Accurate statistics are just as lacking on the birth rate as on the death rate, but an observer in the famine districts finds on every hand evidence that the peasant mothers have been fruitful even when the land was not. The Samara district, despite the ravages of famine among children last autumn, literally swarms with infants. Thousands of new born babies, thrust upon famine stricken communities by undernourished mothers, probably have died within a few days or weeks after birth. Others are tiny living skeletons with drawn faces like old men. But most of them whom the correspondent saw at railway stations, in box cars, riding with their mothers to some more fruitful region and elsewhere, seemed plump and rosy and happy. While the mortality among children was very high last September, they have received food from America and elsewhere since then, which the adults have not, and the death rate recently has been higher among men than among either adult women or children. Asked why the children lived and the adults died, a bearded old peasant with clear, honest eyes shining from his weathered face said it was very simple. "When the children cry for food we give it to them, even if it is the last we have," he said.