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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 toNhe proletariat of India and China, the Russian peasant feels the pinch of poverty and hunger more keenly and more frequently Ihan any oilier, says (he National Geographic Society. One of the earliest Russian famines on record was that of 1G00, with a death toll of 500.000 peasants. Cats, dogs and rats were oaten, and even the strong overcame the weak. Human flesh was sold in the markets. Three Russian famines of recent date were among ihe most severe in liisioi-y in ISM, 1000 and 1011. During Dur-ing the ten years following the first of these, the government allotted nearly $123,000,000 for relief, but the sums were not always judiciously expended. ex-pended. In 1901! the government gave -10 pounds of Hour a month to all persons per-sons under eighteen years old and over fil'ly-nine. Those between these ages received no allowance, and the older and younger shared their pittance wiih ihe olhers. The famine of 1911 extended over one-third I lie area of Europe and af-fe.-led 30.noo.0tl0 persons, while S,-OnO.OOO S,-OnO.OOO were reduced to starvation. Weeds, ihe baric of trees and hitter bread made of acorns, constituted the chief diet. |