Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1878-04-03
THE IA NINE IN CHINA.


The terrible famine in the northern
provinces Of China is a sufficiently Sc
rious visitation, but il is not the only
sweeping disaster with which the
Chinese have to contend. Great floods
have devastated the southern parts of
the empire. and in the central provin.
.ces the plague OF locusts has filed up
the measure of calamity by destroying
every green thing. The Government
is powerless to grapple with this great
tide Of trouble. Though the famine in
northern China has ragged for three
years with terrible intensity, it is only
lately that the facts concerning il have
reached the knowledge of the outer
world. The scene Of the famine is the
vast delta plain which includes the
provinces OF Chihle, Shanse, Shense and
Honan. This plateau covers an area
of 246,72l square miles, and is inhabi-
ted by population Of 10000, 900. The
soil is very productive when watered
by seasonable rains; but, as it is easi-
ly percolated by water, it requires ire-
quent wetting; afew days dry weather
converts the surface into dust. Oflato
years, owing to the wholesale destruc.
tion Of forests, rains have been less
frequent and consequently crops have
been less sure. As the people are rare
ly able TO indulge in the luxury Of
meat or salt fish, failure Of the vege-
table crops is the source of great dis
tress. Owing to the mountain bar
riers, which cut off these provinces
from easy communication with other
parts OF the Empire, it is not easy, even
If the authorities were disposed TO do
so, to minister to the necessities Of such
swarmiag hive Of misery. When it
is considered that tor three years past
the crops have failed, in q country thus
isolated and filled with people subsls-
ting from year to year on the product
of the land withot any surplus accu-
mutation, some dim idea of the terrible
nature of the situation may be con-
ceived Foreign JOURNALS furnish
fearful picture OF houses tenanted only
by the starved dead of thousands of
emaciated corpses lying by the road
side and in the streets OF villages OF
the frantic efforts made by some TO
gain nourishment from the bark OF
trees, the thatch from the roofs of houses
and even from earth and slate stone.
This is the overwhelming infection that
has fallen upon q population nearly
twice as large as that Of the United
States. All the ties OF kindred appear
to be melted away in the fierce strug-
gle for existence now going on. Hus.
bands sell their wives and parents their
children. A traveller, recently return
ed from China, writes "When | left
the country n respectable married wo-
man could be easily bought for six
dollars and little girl for two. In
cases where it was found impossible TO
sell their children parents have been
known 10 kill them rather than wit
ness their prolonged sufferings, in ma
ny instances throwing themselves after
ward down wells or committing suicide
by arsenic Thousands of ablebodied
men are daily emigrating from the
iamine-stricken districts TO Mongolia
and elsew here, leaving the old men,
women and children to die of hunger
or to struggle through as best they
may. 1t is issupposed that nine Millions
of these people are now actually starv-
ing. The Chinese Government is max
ing extraordinary cxertions for the re-
lief OF the famine.stricken districts.
Large stores of rics have been sent for
ward and considerable contributions of
money made from the public treasury
as well as from private sources. But
the utmost that can be done will be
very little when it is compared with
what remains undone. 1t is a great
pity that the money honestly belong
ing TO the Government of China, lying
idle in tho Treasury of the United
States, could not be appropriated for
the purpose of assisting in the task of
alleviation.