The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-01-11
midas HORROR.
England Realizes at Last the
Full Extent
Of the Famine and Plague In
India.
MONEY BEING RAISED
To Buy Food For the Starving
HindOOs.
MONEY BEING RAISED
Particulars of the Spread of
the BubOnic Plague.

London, Jan. lin the district OF
Jabalpur, India, which has a popula-
ton of 1000. 900, 80. 900 persons have died
of starvation. Thousands of others will
perish, despite efforts that may be
made to succor them, as the stricken
people are so weak that they cannot
assimilate food.
The situation is little better in other
parts of India. The area of famine
covers a country as large as the Brit
ish Isles and France together. with
population of $500, 900. the distress be-
ing very acute in two-thirds of this
area
Private letters depict pitiable scenes.
Cultivators and laborers of high and
low caste are crowding on to the rel1ef
works. At first the India office red
tapeism stified the flow of British char
ity, while Russia and America were
sending grain to the starving Indians,
but the gravity of the situation today
has compelled the government urgent
ly to appeal for money and food Relief
committees are being formed through
out England and Scotland and a gen
erOuS response is certain.
In addition to the famine, the bubOn-
is plague, a native disease, has made
its appearance in Bombay and other
Indian cities. In Bombay the weekly
mortality has increased to 200 a. thouS-
and, which means that since the begin
ming of the plague nearly 100000 per-
sons have died.
Large as the existing Indian relief
system is, it is entirely unable to meet
a famine period which, it is estimated,
will extend over the whole of 1897. Ca
Diagrams from the viceroy of India
! have been received here, telling cheer
fully of rains that have fallen in sever
al parts of the country, but rains are of
no benefit to a people with starvation
staring them in the face. They cannot
/ sit down and wait for crops to grow,
| ripen and be harvested. But it appears
| that the Indian government, with in
COMPREHENSIVE fatuIty, has acted on
| the belief that rain, and not food, was
needed. OF course, rains will prevent a
| recurrence of the famine, but what is
wanted now is food to save thousands
| upon thousands of men, women and
/ children from a tOrturing death
| The Indian authorities here, acting
| on the entirely unfounded presumption
| that no aid was required, aside from
| that which would be given by the In
| dian government, checked the lord may
| or of London from starting a famine
| fund, but as the adviceS now at hand
| show that the arrangements for fight
| ing the famine are entirely inadequate
| the lord mayor, at the request of Lord
| George Hamilton. secretary of state for
India, has opened fund that promises
| to reach a large figure. The indiffer-
| ence hitherto displayed by the British
| people to the sufferings of their fellow
| subjects in India has been due to the
| attitude of the authorities. The ap-
! peals that are now being made to them
are being met with a response, and
| large contributions already have beer
received at the Mansion house. the Off
| cial residence of the lord mayor.
The question of a national relief
| grant will be raised in parliament.
The business aspect of the famine is
| altogether depressing. A bad budget
| declining trades and dear money en-
| barrass and will embarrass the Indian
| government The official value of mon
ey called for two months at 10 per cent
has been a fictitions value. The Bank
of Bombay has refused to lend at ever
II per cent.