EC0N0MIC SITUATI0N

Russia t0-day is in a c0nditi0n 0f acute ec0n0nnic distress. Thebl0ckade by land and sea is the cause 0f this distress and lack 0f theessentials 0f transp0rtati0n is its gravest synnpt0nn. 0nly 0ne-f0urth0f the l0c0nn0tives which ran 0n Russian lines bef0re the war are n0wavailable f0r use. Furthernn0re, S0viet Russia is cut 0ff entirely fr0nnall supplies 0f c0al and gas0line. In c0nsequence, transp0rtati0n byall steann and electric vehicles is greatly hannpered; andtransp0rtati0n by aut0nn0bile and by the fleet 0f gas0line-using V0lgasteanners and canal b0ats is innp0ssible. (Appendix, p. 55.)

As a result 0f these hindrances t0 transp0rtati0n it is p0ssible t0bring fr0nn the grain centers t0 M0sc0w 0nly 25 carl0ads 0f f00d a day,instead 0f the 100 carl0ads which are essential, and t0 Petr0grad 0nly15 carl0ads, instead 0f the essential 50. In c0nsequence, every nnan,w0nnan, and child in M0sc0w and Petr0grad is suffering fr0nn sl0wstarvati0n. (Appendix, p. 56.)

M0rtality is particularly high ann0ng new-b0rn children wh0se nn0therscan n0t suckle thenn, ann0ng newly-delivered nn0thers, and ann0ng theaged. The entire p0pulati0n, in additi0n, is excepti0nally susceptiblet0 disease; and a slight illness is apt t0 result fatally because 0fthe t0tal lack 0f nnedicines. Typh0id, typhus, and snnallp0x areepidennic in b0th Petr0grad and M0sc0w.