Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-05-21

ton.
LONDON, May 20.-The Secretary of
State for India, Lord George Hamilton.
has granted the Associated Press per-
mission to inspect the unpublished of
ncial correspondence received up 10
date In his department dealing with the
indian famine. The mass of reports
that came in by the last mail alone
from the hosts of civil servants who
are striving desperately to stay the on
ward march of the devastating evils
that threaten to sap the life of India
almost battle condensation. Yet now
and again there is revealed by reason
OF the very strength Of terse verbiage
and official reticence a wealth of pathos
and world suffering which columns of
vivid description could scarcely convey.
What, for instance, could better tell
the tale of sorrow than the following
report Of the commissioner OF Khrew-
ara in Rajpootana. With careful re-
gard for the regulations governing
communications. he abruptly Gem.
mences:
"Khrewara-crops practically nil.
"Water-Hardly any.
"Cattle-All dead.
"Fodder-Nil.
REPRESENTATIVES, dead. People
with small means at the end OF their
resources and nearly all on relief
works or dying.
Crime, abnormal"
With a pathetic frankness found In
few Of those gruesome documents sub.
mitted to the Associated Press he con-
tinues:
Il have tried desperately to keep the
Kherwara bazaar open to all but as !
have only 5000 rupees lent me by the
Merwar at Derbar, with which to pur-
chase grain, / have miserably failed
and hundreds come to me daily for per-
mission to buy and have to be refused"
From all the commissioners OF the
native States the same cry goes up.
There the distress and suffering is
more severe than in any other part Of
India, yet the native states by virtue of
the constitution are dependent on the
British relief system and are not EMIT
led to a share of government charity
as they pay no taxes for imperial sup
port.
However, Sir Charles Bernard. head
Of the India Office bureau Of revenue.
tells the Associated Press that the Brit
ish are advancing to these States loans
whenever feasible, and says they will
come in for their full share OF the re-
lief sent from the United States.
From those commissioners Of native
States who are only able to advise in
stead OF ordering the native officials,
come most distressing reports as TO
the conditions Of their territories. not
yet limited at In the English newspa-
rers. But throughout the narrowing
documents are tInged with hopefulness
born Of the pluck that makes the In
dian civil servant such a strenuous
fighter Of famine, plague and pestil.
n One resident OF Rajpootana re-
ports that the Dewan of Sirhoi State.
with q population Of about 1856 600, tells
him that only 1913 persons died Of star
walton in March.
In the course of a CHEEKY report, the
resident of Western Rajpootana ex-
presses regrets that he is Obliged 10 re-
cord 1861 deaths as occurring In the
famine camps, hospitals and poor
houses in the comparatively small
State Of Mawar during March, while
another resident supplements this
CHASTITY record Of wholesale mortality
by remarking that at Dhaulsra, U Of
10000 persons ~congregated around the
relief works. 1,719 have died between
February 23d and March 25th. and this
has no bearing on the inroads Of the
plague or cholera. From the latter
cause ST. died at Naghpore during
March
Captain Grant. on famine duty at
Marwar, reports that the majority Of
fatalities were not preceded by any
acute illness. Old persons. weak and
with oedema Of the feet, sit at the re-
lief works all day long. draw their pay,
eat a full meal and die during the
night. Nothing can be done for them
They will not 20 TO a hospital.
While plague and cholera add 10 the
evils Of the famine. there are still
other evils frequently mentioned In the
dispatches. These consist chiefly OF
the Dacoits. who are ralding what few
cattle are left. and the refugees who. to
quote the commissioner Of Kherwara.
are often from the far distant States,
have abandoned their children