December 4, 1983

CHRONOLOGY OF THE FAMINE YEARS. PART XLII

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June 16-30, 1934

On June 16, Svoboda reported that six commissars in Kiev had been sentenced to death for extortion.

Also on that day Svoboda reprinted a memorandum sent by the United Ukrainian Organizations of the United States to President Roosevelt. This memorandum included an article by William Henry Chamberlin from the Christian Science Monitor. The article was titled “Famine Proves Potent Weapon in Soviet Policy” and described Mr. Chamberlin’s trips through Ukraine.

The editorial that day in Svoboda stated that it was important for the Ukrainian people in the United States to approach the subject of the famine united, to approach each and every city and state government official on behalf of the Ukrainian people suffering because of famine in Ukraine.

On June 18, Svoboda reported that Pavel Postyshev had said in a speech that nationalistic and Fascist elements in Ukraine were trying to worm their way into the Communist Party in order to harm party policy.

On June 22, Svoboda reported that William Bullitt, the new U.S. ambassador to the Soviet Union, had arrived in the USSR. Flying over various Soviet cities, including Kiev and Kharkiv, Mr. Bullitt had remarked that everywhere he looked, he saw new buildings springing up – the beginnings of a new industrialized country.

According to reports from Lviv, the Japanese also were concerned about the famine in Ukraine. Svoboda noted that the Dilo newspaper had reported that Japanese newspapers were carrying maps of Ukraine and facts about the famine in the country.

On June 26, Svoboda carried a news item headlined: “Soviets announce Kiev is once again capital of Ukraine.” The report said that Kharkiv government officials were welcomed into Kiev on June 24 in formal ceremonies. It was also reported that 20,000 Soviet officials would be relocated to Kiev.

That same day Svoboda carried a news item about what Moscow and Soviet newspapers said about moving the capital of Ukraine back to Kiev. Calling Kiev the “mother of all Russian cities,” the Soviets were now confident that Kiev would serve them well as the capital of Soviet Ukraine. Most recently, the Communist Party in Kiev had been purged of 27,000 members.

Also on June 26, Svoboda printed excerpts from a Japanese newspaper, Zin Rui Aizen Shinbun (Newspaper of the Friends of Humanity), published in Tokyo.

The newspaper reported: “Today the country (Ukraine) has been transformed into one giant grave. Most of the population has died a famine death. Won’t even a small voice of protest be found? The cultural community of Europe and America must awake from its apathy.”

The Japanese press called upon its people and the people of the entire world to help Ukrainians. The article appeared on the front page of the newspaper, which had an estimated readership of 1.2 million.

On June 27, Svoboda published an editorial about Kiev becoming the capital of Soviet Ukraine. The editorial stated that Pravda had written that the official move of the capital to Kiev on June 24 had proven that the Soviets no longer feared Kiev to be the hotbed of nationalistic counterrevolutionary sentiment. The free Ukrainian press believed that Kiev had become the capital city because the Soviets were concerned with keeping Ukraine a part of the Soviet Union. By engaging Kiev in this vital role, they believed that they could form a united Soviet nation.

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Around the world:

The Dupont Company invented synthetic rubber, which it said could be used for automobile tires, although the costs of making these were still very high.

President Roosevelt addressed nation on a radio broadcast and said that he would continue his battle against the Depression.

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