Michael S. Farbman

“ Millions, thousands of millions flooded the country. And while more and more millions were being printed and distributed amongst the manufacturers, Government contractors, bankers and merchants; food, housing, fuel and clothing became dearer and scarcer every day, and the life of the masses became more difficult, the sacrifices of the workers and peasants more intolerable.
The contrast of profits and sacrifices is not peculiar to Russia, but certainly in no country has it become so hideous as in Russia, nor was this race of millions so mad in any other country as it was in Russia. ”

“ In this country speculators are called profiteers. In Russia the profiteers are called "marauders in the rear."
The same difference is to be observed in the effects of speculation and profiteering upon the morale of the people in Russia and in other countries. The greater the curse, the more deplorable the moral effect. In Russia the speculations and the profiteering were so open and so mean that the eyes of the broad masses of the people were opened at a comparatively early stage of the war. ”

“ This led to veritable panic among the poor, and they too began to hoard money. But they had to be satisfied with copper. Thus the rapacious instincts of the rich, who stole the country's gold and silver from the people, led to a revenge by the poor, who proceeded to hoard the copper. ”