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Show RUSSIANS HIT BY FAMINES Shortages of Food Date From 1600 8,000,000 Persons Reduced to Starvation Star-vation in Famine of 1911. Next to the proletariat of India and China, the Russian peasant feels the pinch of poverty and hunger more keenly and more frequently than any other, says the National Geographic Society. One of the earliest Russian famines on record was that of 1000, with a death toll of 500,000 peasants. Cats, dogs and rats. were eaten, and even the strong overcame the weak. Human flesh was sold in the markets. Three Russian famines of recent date were among the most severe in history in 1S91, 1906 and 1011. During Dur-ing the ten years following the first of these, the government allotted nearly $125,000,000 for relief, but the sums were not always judiciously expended. ex-pended. In 190G the government gave 40 pounds of flour a month to all persons per-sons under eighteen years old and over fifty-nine. Those between these ages received no allowance, and the older and younger shared their pittance with the others. The famine of 1911 extended over one-third the area of Europe and affected af-fected 30,000,000 persons, while 8,-000,000 8,-000,000 were reduced to starvation. Weeds, the bark of trees and bitter bread made of acorns, constituted the chief diet. |