Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-17
PLAGUE COUPLED WITH FAMINE,


PLAGUE COUPLED WITH FAMINE.
Most Appalling Calamity Hangs Over
the Inhnbitnnts, of India.
LONDON, Jan. 16.--For some time past
everything has pointed to the fact that India
is face to face with the most appalling ca
lamity since the British occupation. The
spread of the bubonic plague came almost
with dramatic suddenness on the famine
and created through Europe feeling of the
greatest alarm. Up to the present the two
vistatons have been confined to separate
areas, but 1t is extremely probable that
the plague will ere long reach the famine
districts owing to the impossiblity OF pre-
venting the migration Of the panic-stricken
natives, and should this turn out to be the
case competent authorities look forward to
terrible mortality, as the plague germs will
find fruitful soil in the emaciated natives.
The Indian government appears hardly to
have foreseen such a gigantic undertaking
as that of relieving the necessities of over
S0,00O,0o0 of people, and its ready acquies-
cence to the proposition to appeal to pri-
vate charity indicates that 1t now recognizes
the insufficiency of its arrangements.
The sympathy in Great Britain Is now
thoroughly aroused and relief funds have
been started in all the chief towns. The
Mansion house fund is approaching 100000
(s45O, ,OO0) and 1t is hoped that the total Of
the fund will reach at least 100000 $3,-
500,O ,OO0), which was the amount subscribed
for the relief of the sufferers of the last
famine. The newspapers, however, urge
that some more drastic measure be adopted
and one of the weekly papers suggests that
Parliament vote a big grant or lend India
f10, 600, 900.
representative of the Associated press
called on the lord mayor, George Phillips,
after the meeting at the Mansion house to-
day. At that meeting a resolution moved
by the duke of Connaught, recognizing 1t to
be a public duty TO assist In the work OF eX-
tending the relief measures, and motion
of Henry Hobhouse, NJ p, which invited the
county officials and clergy to cooperate in
the relief work. were adopted. The lord
mayor said he was hopeful that Americans
would cooperate, and he wrote the follow
ing statement, which he asked The Associated
press to publish in the United States.
AN APPEAL TO AMERICA.
1.-The lord mayor of London will receive
with profound gratitude any donations from
the people OF America for the India famine
funds. He asks the royal family to con-
tribute. GEORGE FAUDEL PHILLIPS.
Lord Mayor"
From the European point of view, how
ever, the plague is a matter of greater con-
Germ than the famine. Al continental gov
ernments are adopting precautionary meas
ures at their ports, and the import from
India of rags, linen and t<her articles capa-
BILE of conveying germs is prohibited, and it
is announced that a Europ I'm conference will
be held at Rome TO consider the adoption
of combined measures to 7revent the plague
invading Europe
The Russian government has sent doctors
to Persia to watch the progress of the disease
and If it appears either in Persia Afghanis-
tan or Kashgar, the Russian frontier VIII
be Immediately closed.
The Indian government has dispatched the
director general of the medical department
to study the disease at Bombay, and TWO
chief officials Of the Egyptian sanitary staff
have also gone there to arrange for measures
to prevent the spread OF the plague to Mecca,
which, if it occurred, would probably mean
the invasion Of Egypt The Egyptian gov
ernment has decided that If the plague shall
appear in Arabia no Egyptian pilgrim will
be allowed to return until the disease there
shall have become extinct. Moreover, no
pilgrim would in that case be allowed to e
Egypt unless he could PROVE he had means
of subsistence for six months stay In
Hedjaz, otherwise the land of the pilgrimage
The Mecca pilgrimage is now source Of
the greatest anxiety to European govern
ments, and it is urged on many sides that
the pilgrimages ought TO be stopped. 1t ap-
pears that at the international sanitary coun-
ell at Constantinople the Austrian delegate
proposed that the pilgrimages from India
should be prohibited, but the Turkish dele
gate opposed this on the ground that 1t
would trench on an essential part OF the
Mohammedan faith.
STOP MECCA PILGRIMAGES.
The Daily News publishes q long letter
advocating prohibition OF the pilgrimage and
suggests that the European ministers at
Teheran and st. Petersburg induce the shah
and the czar to proclaim the closing of the
channels of the pilgrimage, while the Turk
lsh authorities close the port of Jeddah.
Great Britain, under treaty arrangements,
can prohibit Afghanstan pilgrims from
traversing India and can also stop the elIiuX
from Baluchstan. The Austrian govern
ment has decided to prevent so far as pos
sible, the pilgrimage from Bosnia and HerZe-
govania. The British Medical Journal mem
tions a report that six plague cases have
reached MaIseilles, but adds 1t believes the
disease will not spread as the town is in
good sanitary condition