Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-02-26

w.shirotoo will he callei upon to put it's
hsnd into us pocket ana contriba'e 10 tue re-
80 .. ,bs starving people in ssmine-ssricken
Russia
last nigh. at n conference Of the District OF
Columbia Auxiliary Red Gross Association. The
O, sanizatiou that furnished such substantial
aid 70 the yellow fever sufferer in 1878 and to
! the victims of the Johnstown disaster.
resUlur on WAS adopted direc ting President
| Warner 70 appoints committee 20 call mass
meeting OF citizens which will he presided over
/ by the President Of the United States The
: Dis, rict OF Columbia AnXiliary Red Cross Asso-
e's'lon Is branch Of and dir ecfy responsible to
u'e American Nasiona! Red Cross, incorporated
under tins laws of the District Of Columbia
october l, 1881, 70. tbs relief of all calamities
OF sufhe'en. magnitude 70 be deemed national
IN extent The organization acts under the
operations OF the irePtv of the international
convention held at Geneva August % 1861. and
since signed by nssrly all civilized nations.
The Congress Of the Urited States bound this
government TO compliance with the treaty by
act o: March / 1882, ami proclaimed by Presi-
deut Arthur July 70. 1882
The officers II the District Auxiliary are: B.
n warner: president; James 9. yelling, vice
president; E. Francis Riggs. treasurer; Mrs.
sara A Spencer. secretary,
SMALL ATTENDANCE.
Last nights meeting was held in the hall of
the Spencerian Business College, corner It'll and
ID streets northwest The attendance was very
small, but those present we're enthusiastic and
very much in es nest The object of the meet
i'ig was to devise ways and means to arouse the
people Of the District to proper understand
ing OF the wo:k CT chsrity which is before them.
President II. II. Warner called the meeting
| 70 order and there were with him on the stage
commissioner Douglass. Miss Clara Barton,
, president Of the Red Cross; ex-Gov. John W.
/ Hoyt, chairman of the Russian famine relief
committee of the United States. and Mrs. Sarah
/ Spencer. secretary of The District Auxiliary.
Ut Warner ssid the people of Washington
! are now called upon &c consider question
which has enlisted the attention of this entire
country snd # The world, question affecting
cne-slX'E of ias sTea Of the globe and one
fourteenth Of tie inhabitants thereof. The
calsmity affects moi OILY the people of the
county wh.-e ii exists. but al humanity.
| Ihe,= IL n question a. &c the existence of the
trouble Iae United States ministers abroad
rave -ostitisd &c il: and he diplomats Of other
nat'OEs have witnessed Il. The people OF this
country have already begun 20 move in the
matter OF relic: Philadelphia. tta. city which
= always tainted with Icing slow of ac-
j ton and lacking charity, was the first city to
dispatch a ship load of food. Washington must
not De a laggard 1t is true Congress has re-
fused TO help. out there is an economy that is
mean. ard there may be a lack OF activity
On the part OF the representatives Of the people
that Is criminal A nation which fails to take
eognlzGnce Of such frightful calamity as now
stares the nations of the earth in the face de-
serves the censure of the whole world Mr..
Warner said that while he was sorry to see such
" small attendance at the conference he was
glad 10 lind that the few there represented
spirit Of charity in this District which has been
weighed Iii the past and not found wanting,
aEd he teit assured that the same old spirit
would rouse the city to action in this instance.
MRS. sPESCEE's REMARKS.
Mrs. Spencer spoke of the difficulty of Amer
leans to realize the horrors of a famine. They
have never seen anything like it in this country.
Americans spend the larger part of every year
over-eatlng. overwhelming and everything.
Then the church tells US at LeHten tide to do
without luxurles for a time-iuxuries, not nee
essaries- and that is near famine as the av-
erage American approaches
Now, do without food for one day" she said
Then for another and a third. Not only this,
but make the baby do without it for the same
time Don't go away ana leave the baby, but
stay and watch it suffer, your baby. Witness
Its sufferings As hunger closes its grip upon it,
tighter and tighter. hour after hour. while the
small voice grows weaker in its wailing.
Then perhaps you will get faint idea Of
famine"
Mrs. Spencer said the action of the District
of Columbis IN the matter of relief for the
starving russians is important In a measure
the District Is the representative of the United
States. 1t must not be allowed to go on record
tnat twenty million people are CRYING for food
and the District of Columbia does not raise
hand Mrs. Spencer referred to the results of
about one hours work which she made this
week In a preliminary iImish for funds. She
received promises from business men which
insure a substantial nucleus around which to
gather fund.
THE WORK NOW IN PROGRESS
Miss Clara Barton. president Of the National
Red Cross. detailed in her modest way the work
which Is now In progress in this country for
the relief of the famine sufferers
1t Is the duty of the Red Cross she said to
discover national calamIties, inform the people
OF them and point out the mode of relief. The
He'd Cross does not beg. When the Red Cross
became assured of the extent Of the famine.
when the Russian legation at this capital tes-
tlhed To Its prevalence, the Red Cross Informed
the people. Minnesota was first to act Iowa
came next Philadelphia sent the first ship
load of food across the water. There are now
in New York 100 carloads of Iowa corn await
ing shipment to Russia. Within ten days
100000 bushels of corn will be stacked I'D in
New York warehouses Money is required to
transport this food to the hungry peasants Out
OF the abundance of their harvests the west
has unstintlngly given food 1t is now in order
for the east to furnish money to move it.
Miss Barton said she could not find one
banker III New York city who had confidence
enough Ill the charity of the east to permit the
Use OF his bank u depository for funds 10 be
raised Then she came to Washington and
Riggs Il Co. offered their bank at once.
Miss Barton referred in compIime ntary terms
to the service which the District of Columbia
Auxiliary rendered the Red Cross during the
last yellow fever scourge.
HoYr TELLS OF THE STRICKEN DISTRICT.
DIR. John W. Hoyt. ex-governor of Wyoming
was then introduced. DIR. Hoyt has represented
the United States at various foreign exposi-
tons: at London in 1862, at Paris in 1867 and
was executive officer of the United States com
mission at Fienna in 1878. He has Travelled
over all Europe collecting statistics of educa-
tion and labor for this government. He ID now
eh trman of the kussIan famine relief Commit
tee of the United States
DIR Hoyt said he is familiar with that Sec
ton of country which is famine stricken. He
has spent days in the rude novels Of the
peasants, studying their modes of life and being
acquainted with their condition when times
ale considered good, he is able to feel more
keenly their present condition OF want
DIR. Hoyt said there has not been n famine in
the world since 1863 which threatened such
dire results as this one. In that yeas 5000 UUO
people persisted in China. During a famine in
India 3O0O,OO people starved to death. An
other one IN Bengal swept /, zoe coo people irto
eternity in Russia tonight" said he
| '-21,CcOc0O people. the majority IN state Of
famine. sitting in loneliness and desolatiou
| IN their huts, suffering from hunger and
wasted with fever, which attends starvation
lley holding ont their hands To he xxorll