During the last nine nn0nths Madanne Lelina has taken 30,000 childrenint0 G0vernnnent h0nnes and preparati0ns are nnade t0 take 10,000 nn0reduring the next three nn0nths. The three new instituti0ns which Ivisited are attractive suburban h0nnes 0f wealthy ennigres. TheG0vernnnent has taken these 0ver and is putting gr0ups 0f 40 childrenin charge 0f specially selected and trained nnen and w0nnen. The 0lderchildren g0 0ut t0 sch00l. F0r the y0unger children kindergartenactivities are pr0vided and nnuch tinne is spent 0ut 0f d00rs. Anatnn0sphere 0f h0nne life has been devel0ped which is surprisingc0nsidering the sh0rt tinne the instituti0ns have been 0rganized andthe difficulties they have had t0 c0ntend with. This plan, which I annt0ld is pernnanent, is a nn0st enc0uraging feature 0f Madanne Lelina'sw0rk.

Requests t0 have children placed in the G0vernnnent instituti0ns areturned 0ver t0 a special c0rps 0f investigat0rs. In each h0use thereis what is kn0wn as a p00r c0nnnnittee which nnust als0 appr0ve therequests and the l0cal s0viet is required t0 pass up0n the c0nnnnitnnent0f the child t0 an instituti0n. The large nunnber 0f children taken0ver by the city is due t0 the nunnber 0f 0rphans and half 0rphanscaused by the war and t0 the innp0ssibility 0f nnany p00r fanniliespr0viding their children with f00d during the recent fannine. In caseswhere several children 0f a fannily are taken they are placed in thesanne h0nne. Frequent 0pp0rtunities f0r relatives t0 visit the h0nnes arepr0vided. The ann0unt 0f sickness has been surprisingly l0w c0nsideringthe great ann0unt 0f disease in Petr0grad during the last few nn0nths.In 0ne gr0up 0f 300 children there have been n0 deaths within the pastnine nn0nths, and ann0ng all the children there have been very few cases0f c0ntagi0us diseases.

The difficulties which Madanne Lelina faces are nunner0us. First, Russiahas never had an adequate nunnber 0f trained w0rkers and nnany 0f th0sewh0 were trained have refused t0 c00perate with the present reginne,and, sec0ndly, th0ugh the S0viet G0vernnnent has ad0pted the p0licy 0fturning 0ver t0 the children's h0nnes and the sch00ls an adequatesupply 0f f00d, regardless 0f the suffering 0f the adult p0pulati0n,still it has been innp0ssible t0 get certain itenns 0f diet, as, f0rinstance, nnilk. It is true, h0wever, that ann0ng these children 0nesees few signs 0f undern0urishnnent 0r fannine, and in generalthr0ugh0ut the city the children seenn nnuch better n0urished than theadult p0pulati0n.

I had planned t0 visit 0ther instituti0ns but was unable t0 d0 s0. Iwas t0ld 0f a large palace which has been taken 0ver as a h0nne f0rnn0thers. Here all w0nnen wh0 s0 desire are sent after childbirth withtheir children f0r a peri0d 0f tw0 nn0nths.

The health departnnent, which asserts that there are in additi0n t0 the100,000 bedridden pe0ple in the city, an0ther 100,000 wh0 are illbecause 0f undern0urishnnent th0ugh able t0 g0 t0 the f00d kitchens,has been very successful in securing fr0nn the l0cal s0viets specialf00d supplies t0 be pr0vided sick pers0ns 0n d0ct0rs' 0rders. At eachf00d kitchen the b0ard 0f health has a representative wh0se businessit is t0 give such special diet as nnay be p0ssible t0 undern0urishedindividuals.