Evening star., 1897-02-27
English Are Grateful for American
Aid and Sympathy.
OUTLOOK BETTER IN THE PUNJAUB
Three Million Persons Are Daily
Receiving Assistance.
GREAT NEED OF FUNDS

Copyrighted. 1897. by the Asso.i I'd Prcss)
LONDON. February 2I-Lord George
Hamilton. the secretary of state for India.
has furnished the following exclusive state
Inent t. the As ISOLATED Press:
The people of India OF all classes and
the mother country. from her majesty
downward. are much touched with the sym
rathy ard liberalty SHOWN by the United
States and Canada toward the queens sub
1ects In Irdia who are now suffering from
famine. Already large sums have been
sent from Canada. and contributions of
wheat and maize have been promised from
the United States. and further assistance
is understood to be contemplated.
The central relief committee Of India
report that they can make better and more
prompt use of gifts of money than of con-
tributions of grain. valuable as the latter
are. to enable those now receiving relief
TO start afresh at the end of the famine
which is one of the ayowed objects of the
relief fund Money is essential to the GEN.
trail local committees, on which serve phil
enthropic men of all races and faiths in
Guiding American and European mission
aries. They administer the funds, bestow-
ing great personal care and diligence in
making the moneys received go as far as
possible In relief and help outside of the
bare subsistence wage. or dole, which the
would Otherwise starve. In every famine
district there are large number of respect
able persons who fear losing caste and
die rather than seek publicly for govern
ment aid To these help only come
through the relief committees, and great
good has already teen done In this direc-
ton since the con mittees were formed.
Since January there have been changes
IN the famine outlook. The province OF
Punjaub. in parts cf which famine was
apprehended. will. thanks TO the favorable
winter rainfall. escape with perhaps partial
distress in some OF the southern districts
But III parts of the northwest provinces
and in the central provinces. and possibly
also in on9 or two districts of Bengal and
bombay, the prospects are worse than
were anticipated. In some districts ~ per
cent OF the whole population is already re-
eeiving government relief. and the proper
lion may ultimately reach 10 per cent. In
previous famnes 10 TO IL per cent has
been the largest proportion OF the whole
population at the worst time over the
who'll area affected by famine. Three
millions of people are now receiving daily
end Of May these numbers must reach
higher totals. After June, if the rainy
season Is propitious, the chief object of the
government relief and of the relief COM
nittee viii be TO get people back TO their
homes and place them as far as possible
In position to earn their own living in
the usual way The monthly relief ex-
penditureS cannot much abate before the
beginning of June. and even If the season
Is favorable strenuous relief exertions will
be requisite TO the end of September.
The alleviatiOn Of misery by charitable
funds already sent out is so great that il
is earnestly hoped that the organization
nov at work may he sustained by con-
tinuous contributions In full efficiency for
the whole period during which help will
be needed and i feel confident that the
people OF the United States, having never
been slow to reply to appeals for help from
this country. will. WREN the above facts
are known TO them. respond with their
accustomed generosity"