Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1897-01-17
PER|SH|NG BY HUNDREDS
is the Daily Report From
PIague-Stricken India.
ALL EUROPE is AROUSED
And the Hearts of Royalty Are at Last
Opened to the Suffering People
FAMINE GATHERS ITS. THOUSANDS
Queen Victoria's Health the Cause of Much
Uneasiness-That Treaty international
Postal Conference at Washington
Is Eagerly Anticipated.
FAMINE GATHERS ITS, THOUSANDS

London, Jan. 16-(Copyright, 1897. by
the Sun Publishing and Printing Associa-
tion.)-The eyes of the European world
are turned this week towards India, each
days intelligence from that stricken land
making it more apparent that the great
est tragedy In modern history Is being
enacted there under the double course of
famine and plague. The heart of Europe
has been touched at last and the univer-
sal sympathy is perhaps more keen be-
cause 1t is now tinged with apprehension
1t would not be surprising If within a
month genuine plague panic should
spread through Christendom. The great
powers show alarm and the news comes
today that Italy has summoned an inter-
national conference to meet forthwith at
Rome to consider measures for dealing
with the danger. There is little doubt
that the response of other governments
will be favorable and all the resources of
modern science will be speedily arrayed
against this hideous foe. Reliable in
formation about the real extent of the
plague In Bombay and vicinity is lacking,
and regarding the mortality, it is only
said in general terms that more than
half of those attacked succumb. The
news service of the London press is
strangely inadequate and 1t is from priv
ate sources that most of the informal ton
comes. The point which most interests
Europeans is whether the awful disease
is likely to flourish in northern ATTITUDES
If Infection should be introduced here, but
no evidence is forthcoming yet. 1t is
argued by medical men, however, that
II the plague was dangerous in Hong
Kong 1t will find an equally prolific field
in London and Paris so far as the climate
is concerned 1t is generally admitted
that the plague is a filth disease, but
there are certain peculiarities connected
with its spread DR.. Hankin, well
ing the subject in Bombay, fastens the
responsibility for carrying the infection
upon rats, ants and other insects Rats
in houses have the plague; they die and
into the crevices of the buildings, to water
taps and sinks. Thus the person is diff
fused and cannot be eradicated except by
fire. This explains the efficacy of the
old method of cleansing by confiagration,
and at the same time. the futility of iso
lating the sick as in other infectious dis
cases. The only thing to do is to remove
the healthy. 1t is stated in the Daily
Mail dispatches, which are the only ones
worth reading in the London papers, that
large business houses in Bombay are in
Tested by rats, have been rendered I'M
tenable by the ravages of the plague
among those vermin. They die by hum
dreds in the walls and the human occu-
pants have been compelled to vacate the
buildings. 1t is not observed that any
larger animals are subject to the infec
ton.
The French, Austrian and Italian gov
ernments have already taken stringent
measures against the importation OF the
plague, but 1t can hardly be possible to
escape a series of alarms from this cause
during the next few weeks. The ravages
of the famine in the interior of India are
still far more deadly than the more hor-
rible plague at Bombay. The victims of /
the plague are perishing by hundreds
daily, but the victims of hunger succumb
by thousands daily. 1t would be easy to
harrow the hearts of every one possess
ing human sympathy by accounts of the
typical sights experienced in the vast
famine district, but surely the appetite
for horror in all It's forms has been salts
fed throughout Christendom during the
past few months. 1t is sufficient to say
that the gaunt starving millions of In
dia are perishing at a more rapid rate
than any army ever suffered before. The
most deadly engines of destruction de-
vised by man. The relief movement is
now apparently in full operation. The
public conscience and sympathy in this
country have both been fully aroused.
The response to the appeal is liberal, but
utterly impossible. The proportion of
givers to the sufferers Is scarcely more
q
the generosity of the whole world to OPP
pose real check to the ravages of hun
ger In India.
Such popular interest as was aroused
early In the week by publication of the
terms of the proposed arbitration treaty
between Great Britain and the United
States seems to have entirely disap
peared. 1t is by no means regarded in
Europe as epoch-making event which
one or two newspapers seemed to class
This HE "a lafnitV and the G.
sacre of half dozen Englishmen in Be-
min have aroused far deeper public con-
Germ. 1t is in diploma tic circles only
that the subject is still alive and 1t is in
its bearings upon European politics that
the treaty is to be considered. The i'm
preston prevails that there Is small
chance of the treaty being ratified by the
present senate and 1t would not be sur
prising If Russia and perhaps other pow
ers shonld make overtures to the new ad-
ministration which would enable McKin-
IN to submit a series of treaties to the
new senate for joint consideration If
action is delayed on the present one. The
diplomatic world takes more interest In
the appointment of Count Nuraveff as
Russian foreign minister than in any
other subject. The czar's selection
came as great surprise, but 1t is every
where Interpreted as meaning a steady
and unf1inching pursuit of the policy fol-
lowed by the late Prince Lebanon. There
Is difference of opinion thus far whether
Nuravieff will be greater than his office,
as Prince Lebanon was, or merely an
executive officer of the emperor. His Of
flee is undoubtedly the most important In
Europe at the present moment and his
character and antecedents are therefore |
being carefully studied in all quarters. |
His appointment is popular in France. |
but not upon the whole in Germany. Eng |
lish opinion of him is uniformed, but |
is suspicious. His youth is a first and |
obvious offence to English conservat ism. |
1t Is a pleasure to be able to record the |
fact that the Royal academy election
last Thursday night met the approval Of |
both the artistic and wider social circles. |
The result was b surprise to most per-