The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1897-08-25
The Great Famine in India.
Julian HaWthornes Graphic
Description OF the Fearful
Famine.

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From the American Nonthly Magazine
Mr.. julian Hawtherne's article on
s he India famine, IN the August mum
Der of Tue Cosmopolitan ia. i posi-
sble, even stronger piece of de-
:scripsNe writing than h;a article last
month on the plague in Bombay. 1t
- like his July article in being the
fankest, the most unreserved, and
apparently the most truthful article
that has appeared in any prominent
quarter on the fearful conditions pre-
valling IN the most populous part of
The British Empire. Mr Hawthorne
sdoes not finch from bis task, al
though he is dealing with matters of
the most shocking and heart-rendi1g
character. He has convinced him
self that not less than eight millions
Sof people have already died Of the
famine up to the time when his in
vestigation was made IN the spring
sof the present year, aud that there
is reason enough to fear that there
viii not be less than twenty million
deaths IN the aggregate, as the i'm
mediate OF less direct consequence of
the want Of food throughout great
er part Of India
Several things be makes clear
which we're NOT so well understood
before he shows, for example, that
people are starving in India through
lack of ability TO purchase, ard not
from the actual non existence of food.
There are native merchants everyl
where with wheat TO sell, but the
masses have no money with which to
buy In order that they may have
moneys the English Government in.
India maintains relief works and sew
eral millions of people are now en-
sployed IN such work as quarryiBg.
aud breazing stone for the roads, in
return for which they obtain three or
four ceDts q day as wages, with
which they go their way to purchase
wheat al famine prices fron the ma
tive desters These relief works are
evidently saving the lives of mil
lions Of people but they come very
far shor: of meeting the whole situa
ton. Mr.. Hawthorne declares that
1he miss ionaries are, above all others,
the right persons to whom TO send
money for the relief Of the suffering
10 the following interesting passage
he explains the position in which the
British officials are placed
ssIt was my great good fortune to
be thrown with the missionaries from
the stars, and was able to compare
their methods and knowledge with
those of the Government people 1t
was as if you should sit with the au-
dience in front of theatre and wit
ness the performance from that point
Of view, and then should 60 behind
the scenes and see the reality Tie
FIRST is the posture of the Govern
ment people ; the latter that of the
missionaries. 1t is the Governments
misfortune, not its fault Let me en-
phatically declare that the Eng
lish 10 India are doing all that wis
dom and experience can advise. aud
heroic energy and devtion execute
to combat and diminish this stupen.
dous calamity they are are sparing
neither time, money nor life itself.
But whatever they do as Govern
ment is avoided of moiety or more
of It's effect by the strict necessity
they are under to employ native sub
ordinates The moment their
white backs are turned the native
subordinates pocket part as much as
is safe, and often rather more, Of the
money contributed or payable, and
give the relief destined for the starv-
ing to their cvn compara.ivelv COM
Portable friends. or to persons with
whom they have previously agreed to
divide. 1t is impossible to stop this
wholesale robbery, for the simple
reason that there are not enough
white men in India for that purpose.
Mr.. Hawthorne describes the
famine area as nearly half that of the
United States means OF transporta-
ton are very inadequate and the
climate deadly.
"Miliions. literally, of the people
starve to death without the Govern
ment having any knowledge thereof
In the last famine (l8777S this was
30 much the case that Lord Lytton,
then Viceroy, was able to declare in
. public address that not moro than
three OF four persons in all India had