The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-03-18
THE BENGAL FAMINE LAND.

Vivid Picture OF the Situation in
India - Sixty-hvo Million People
Threatened with Stnrvntion-TOtai
Failure Of the Rice Crop-FOrmer
Bengal Famines-Twelve Million HUI
man Beings Perish by Hunger.
Six times since Great Britain permanently es-
tablished her sway In the East Indies has the Pres
tdency OF Bengal been devastated by famine.
Christian humanity and enlightened statesman
ship have rendered modern statesmen, as well as
Others, ignorant OF the meaning OF the words
s'pestilence' and "famine In their Asiatic sense.
They are pregnant with pictures of lndescribabe
horrors, will be learned by reading further on
description Of what took place in the Northwest
Provinces in ITO and in Orissa in 1866 1t u.s. per-
haps little surprising that the civilized world is
not at the present moment more exercised in ref
erence to q calamity that for five months past
has weighed down upon the same people ana
the same region and threatens results equally
disastrous. English historians, treating Of Indian
history as series of struggles about commercial
privileges, enlivened with startling military ex-
plots, have naturally little to say regarding occur.
rences which involved neither battle nor parlia
mentary debate. But the periodical failure OF the
rice crop IN Bengal, caused by the droughts, to
which provinces in Hindostan are liable, has
caused during the past century an aggregate OF in
divtdual suffering which no civilized nation has
been called upon to contemplate in historic times
The extensive territory now afflicted with scarcity
was visited, as stated by @ similar calamity in
ITO, which continued nine months and carried OH
100000 OF the inhabitants; local inundation
destroyed the harvest in Sylliet in 1882 and one
third the people died; the same thing occurred in
1884 when twothrds OF the cattle perlshed In 1887
and 1861 the Northwestern provinces were visited
by season OF terrible drought, and in 1866 in
Orissa, in the southwestern part Of the Presidency
1,000, 900 human beings died from hunger. Famine
IN India is caused by natural scarcity resulting
from the deficiency Of the crops, and is more or
less severe in proportion as the crops have been
more or less destroyed. InundauiOns may cause
temporary scarcity, but the losses of low-lying
localities are usually made up by the subsequent
abundance on the high grounds. The total grain
crop OF Bengal is SUFFICIENT to sustain all its popu-
lation, and the dearth which now exists in Behar
and other districts would have been avoided had
expectation been prohibited in season and prompt
measures taken TO transport food when the first
unmistakable evidences Of failure in the rice
produce had appeared.
THE FIRST SYMPTOMS.
As far back as October last it was we'll known
that the drought that had for some time prevailed
In Behar threatened vast deficiency in the grain
supply. The East India authorities with past ex-
perience before their eyes, should have at set
to work to prevent the disastrous results that have
followed Lord NorthbrOok, the viceroy, and Sir
George Campbell the Lieutenant Governor of
Bengal, had their attention directed to the
alarming condition Of affairs, but by all &C.
counts, they did not view the matter as
requiring any extraordinary eXertons. They,
like their predecessors, 1t would seem, viewed
the question as a financial one. On former
occasions Of famine and 1t was the habit to pay
very little attention to such matters in England The
loss OF life was accepted as natural consequence
OF the loss of the crop. The earth had yielded no
food, and so the people, in che ordinary course Of
things, died. different condition Of public opn-
ion, happily, exists now and the Indian authori-
ties are to be, and Will be, held to strict respon-
sibihty for the proper and humane discharge Of
their duties. In January it became evident that
some definite system for the distribution of relief
should be established, so that, as soon as actual
necessity for 1t appeared, everything should be
found In working order.
DELUsTvE STATEMENTS.
Less than two months ago the viceroy tele
graphed that the government had on hand an
ample supply Of grain, from beyond the sea, to
meet all demands from the distressed districts
and he had already inaugurated relief works on
large scale, besides encouraging emigration from
Bengal to Burmah. For the latter purpose
$25O,OOO was appropriated. But as weeks passed
matters began to assume most unprOmlsng
aspect. Distress spread over a large tract of
country, and the horrors OF famine, similar to
those described by Mr.. Runter in his "An.
mails OF Rural Life in Bengal" as hav.
ing occurred in ITO, appeared imminent.
Lord Northbrook, in one or his latest
Dispatches, states that 1t would be only necessary
to support 100000 people for three months-a
statement terribly az variance with facts-and
that be had established pound OF rice daily for
each adult as minimum ration. The estimated
amount of food required Is 10000 tons, and the
authorities announce that they have on hand
$4,000 tons-most deceptive figures, indeed. The
transportation, which is most diniculs, is to be
performed by 10000 carts and 10000 bullocks.
UNDER OFFICIAL ESTIMATES.
The fault with these estimates Is that they fall
almost UNNECESSARILY below what are necessary TO
prevent widespread suffering aad mortality. In
the first place, the ration OF one pound OF rice Is
totally inadequate to properly sustain lie. Two
pounds are the least that can be considered
sufficient. The London Times Of February
rs ssys:-"we firmly believe that the
danger was never greater than it is now, and at
the same time that Official exertions never be-
fore were 30 earnest or directed with so clear
purpose. All the calculations yet made have been
made promising $4,000, 600 OF people, including one.
tenth only abc-bodied, required food. We must not
forget, however, that the deficiency Is stated at
oneSlaf the entire rice crop OF Bengal. and, with
out going out OF those provinces, we nave
slxTY-F1vE MILLIONS OF pBopLE
more or less afected by the scarcity. In addition
to this we have possible large demand from the
northwest provinces Dude and Madras, The
fact Is that as least %, 100000 natives will REQUIRE
food for nearly one year from this date
as 1t is well established there can be
no considerable supply OF rice until
the opening OF 1875. The rain that has recently
fallen has not affected the prospects, and the re.
ports show virtually On absolute failure OF the
Behar crop OF 1874 Importations OF rice have
been made from Chittag0ng. fertile province.
and from Ortaaa- from