The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-01-17
RELIEF sORELY NEEDED.
Lord Mayor of London Appeals to the
People OF America.

People OF America.
Copyright. 1891. by the Associated Press)
LONDON, Jan. 16.-For some time past
everything has pointed 10 the fact that
India is face to face with the most APP
pallinG calamity since the British occupa-
ton. The spread of the bubonic plague
came almost with dramatic suddenness on
the heels of the famine and created
throughout Europe feeling of the great
est alarm. Up to the present the two Wis
itations have been confined to separate
areas, but it is extremely probable that
the plague will ere long reach the famine
districts, owing 10 the impossibility of pre-
venting 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 undertaking
as that of relieving the necessities of eighty
million of people. and its ready acquies-
cence TO the proposition to appeal TO pri-
vate charity indicates that it now recog-
nizes the insuficiency of it's arrangement.
The sympathy of Great Britain is now
thoroughly aroused. and relief funds have
been started in ali the chief towns, the Man
and it is hoped that the total of the fund
will reach at least G7OO,09o (S3, ,OOO), which
was the amount subscribed for the relief
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 a big grant or lend India G10, ,0O0, 900.
A representative of the Associated Press
called on the lord may Mr.. George Fau-
del Phillips, after the meeting at the Man.
sion House to-day AT that meeting a res
olution, moved by the Duke of Connaught,
recognizing it TO be a public duty to assist
in the work of extending the relief meas
ures and motion of Henry Hobhouse,
Nj. p which invited the county officials
and clergy to cooperate in the relief work,
were adopted. The lord mayor said he
was hopeful that Americans would CO.
operate, and he wrote the following state
ment which he asked the Associated Press
publish in the United States:
''The lord mayor OF London will receive
with profound gratitude any donations
from the people of America for the India
famine relief funds. He invites the junior
branch OF the united family TO emphasize
their noble feelings towards the mother
country which the mother country cher
ished for them"
From the European point OF view how
ever, the plague is a matter of graver con-
Germ than the famine. AL. the continental
governments are adopting precautionary
measures at their ports and the import
from India OF rags, linen and other arti-
cles capable OF conveying germs are pro-
pean conference will be held at Rome TO
consider the adoption OF combined meas
ures to prevent the plague from invading
Europa. The Russian government has sent
doctors 10 Persia to watch the progress of
the disease. and IL IL appears in either Per-
sia Afghanistan or kashgar, the Russian
frontier Will be Immediately closed.
The indian government has dispatched
the director general of the medical serv
ice to study the plague at Bombay. and
two chief officials of the Egyptian sanitary
staff have also gone there TO arrange for
measures to minimize the chances of the
spread of the plague to Mecca, which, if
it occurred, would probably mean the in
vasOn OF Egypt. The Egyptian govern
ment has decided that if the plague should
be allowed to return until the disease there
shall have become extinct. Moreover, no
pilgrim would, In that case, be allowed 70
leave Egypt unless he could prove that he
had means of subsistence for a six-months'
stay in Hedjaz otherwise the land of pill
grimage. The Mecca pilgrimage is now q
source Of the greatest anxiety to European
governments. and 1t is urged on many sides
that the pilgrimage ought to be stopped.
1t appears that at the international sani-
tary council at Constantinople the Austrian
delegation proposed that the pilgrimage
Turkish delegate opposed this on the
ground that he would trench an essen
tial part of the Mohammedan faith.
The Daily News publishes a long article
advocating prohibition of the pilgrima ge,
and suggests that the European ministers
at Teheran and st. Petersburg induce the
Shah and the Gar TO proclaim the closing
of the channels OF pilgrimage, while the
Turkish authorities close the port of Jed
dah. Great Britain, under treaty arrange
ments, can prohibit Afghan pilgrims from
traversing India, and can also stop the
efflux from Beluchistan. The Austrian
government has decided to prevent so far
a nnSSihla DiigffmHEp BOSNIA
Herzegovina. The British Medical Journal
mentions a report that six plague cases
have reached Marseilles, but adds that il
believes the disease will not spread, the
town is in good sanitary condition.