The herald., 1897-01-17
ENGLAND appalled,
At INDIA 5 CALAMITY
BubOnic Plague Follows
the Famine
Terrible MORTALITY EXPECTED
By the Experts Best Able to
Prophesy
AMERICAN AID IS ASKED
To Supplement Funds Raised Ia Eng.
lish Cities
The Indian Government Proves Not Equal to
the Occasion
More Dreadful Than the Actual Famine
Is the Possibility of Spreading
the Plague All Over
the World
The Indian Government Proves Not Equal to
the Occasion
Associated Press Special Wire

LONDON, Jan. 16.-(Copyright, 1879
For some time past everything has
pointed to the fact that India is face to
face with the most appalling calamity
since the British occupation. The spread
of the bubonic plague came with almost
dramatic suddenness on the famine, and
created throughout Europe feeling
of the greatest alarm. Up to the present
the visitations have been confined to
separate areas, but it is extremely prob
able that the plague will ere long reach
the famine districts. owing to the i'm
possibility of preventing 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 gigantic under
taking as that Of relieving the necessi-
ties of over SO,OoO,ooO of people. and its
ready acquiescence to the proposal to
appeal to private charity indicates that
it now recognizes the insufficiency Of its
arrangements. The sympathy of Great
Britain is now thoroughly aroused and
relief funds have been started in all tho
chief towns.
The Mansion House fund is approach
ing 100000 and it is hoped that the total
fund will reach at least E700,000 which
was the amount subscribed for the re-
lief 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 big grant or lend
India G10.000,000.
A representative of the Associated
Press called on the lord mayor, Mr..
George f. Phillips after the meeting at
the Mansion House today. At that meet
ing resolution, moved by the duke Of
Connaught, recognizing 1t to be a pub
lie duty to assist in the work of ex-
tending relief measures, and a motion
by Henry Hobhouse, M. p, which in
vited the county officials and clergy to
cooperate In the relief work, were
adopted.
The lord mayor said he was hopeful
wrote the following statement, which
he asked the Associated Press to pub
lish in the United States:
THE lord mayor of London will re-
ceive with profound gratitude from the
people of America for the India famine
funds. He asks the royal family to con-
tribute to the fund"
The message is signed by George Fau-
del Phillips lord mayor.
From the European point Of view how
ever, the plague is a matter OF graver
concern than the famine. All the con-
tinental governments are adopting pre-
cautionary measures at their posts, and
the import from India of rags, linen and
other articles capable of conveying
germs is prohibited. and 1t is announced
that a European conference will be held
at Rome to consider the adoption OF COM
bined measures to prevent the plague
from invading Europe.
The Russian government has sent
doctors to Persia to watch the progress
of the disease and If it appears either In
Persia or Afgkanistan the Russian from
tier will be Immediately closed.
The Indian government has ddspatch.
ed the director general of the medical
service to study the plague at Bombay,
and two chief officials of the Egyptian
sanitary staff have also gone there to
arrange measures to minimize the
chances of the spread of the plague to
Mecca which, If it occurred, would prob
ably mean the invasion of Egypt.
The Egyptian government has de-
cided that If the plague shall appear In
Arabia no Egyptian pilgrims will be al.
shall have become extinct. Moreover.
ro pilgrims would In that case be al.
lowed to leave Egypt unless he could
prove he had means of subsistence for
six months stay in Hedjas, otherwise
the land of the pilgrimage. The Mecca
pilgrimage is now source of the great
est anxiety to the European govern
ments, and 1t Is urged on many sides
that the pilgrimages ought to be stop
ped. 1t appears that at the international
sanitary council at Constantinople che
Austrian delegate proposed that the pill
grimages from India should be prohib-
tied, but the Turkish delegate opposed
this on the ground that 1t would trench
on an essential part fthe Mohamme-
dan faith.
The Daily News publishes long arti-
Gle advocating prohibition of the pill
grimage, and suggests that the European
ministers at Teheran and St. Peters
burg induce the shah and the czar to
proclaim the closing of the channels o.
the pilgrimage, while the Turkish au-
thorities close the port Of Jeddah. Great
Britain, under treaty arrangements, can
prohibit Afghanistan pilgrims from
India aud can also stop the
effluX from Beluchistan. The austrian
government has decided to prevent, so
far as possible, the pilgrimage from BoB-
MIA and Herzegovina " #
The British Medical Journal mentions
q report that six plague cases have
reached Marseilles, but adds that n ~
Iieyes the disease will not spread. aS &ho
town Is in good sanitary condition. x1o