The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1900-04-27
An appeal to Those Who Love Their
Fellow Men.

The cry of starving India is moving
the hearts of the world. From thirty
to sixty millions of men, women and
children are on the verge of actual
starvation, without any prospect of re-
lief until the summer rains shall start
the crops in June, except as they are
helped by the merciful in other lands.
Ninety per cent of the cattle in many
parts OF the country are already dead,
Infant mortality Is terrible, as without
sufficient nourishment the infants turn
into little skeletons and die. The cry
for food is a Cry the world must listen
to, and listen to quickly, for the horrors
of the situation darken with every day
1t is the greatest famine of the century;
surely we who are prosperous and we'll
fed should not, and will not steel our
hearts against this appeal of the starv-
ing millions
The government OF India is doing
everything in its power to relieve the
condition of as many as as possible
Over six hundred millions dollars have
been appropriated for relief works, but
this does not meet the need. Does
America realize that if the government
of India should for one week withdraw
it's work of saving life, 5000, 900
human beings would be lying dead
poisoning the air, for there would be
none to bury them2 The relief camps
are the very last possible resort of the
people. They have struggled on on
one meal a day, then have lived on
wild fruit They have pawned every
thing they possessed. their bodily
strength has gone in the struggle for
self and wife and children, and now as
living skeletons, they make their final
effort on their ability to get to the dis
tant camp. Such is the sad condition
today, and the wall of this human cry
of hunger and nakedness, and the
means of the living skeletons mothers
separated from children, and children
dying abandoned or dying in their
arms this cry is ascending to heaven,
and where are our American hearts of
sympathy that they do not swell into a
great stream of gifts to help nation in
her woe.
One dollar will feed twenty men,
women and children for day.
Five dollars will feed more than a
hundred hungry children.
Ten dollars will help company of
200 people to go to government relief
camp for work.
Twenty five dollars will furnish
cheap garments for fifty women or
seventy. five blankets.
Fifty dollars will rescue from starva-
ton and support fifty children for a
month.
Thousands of dollars are needed for
relief works. In order not to demoral
ize the people by indiscriminate giving,
work is made the basis of relief. Ex-
amples of such relief measures are max
ing roads, digging wells, deepening
ponds, clearing away the unhealthy
cactus. keeping at their usual employ
ment by the purchase of their products,
the weaver, the stonecutter, the brick
maker the tile maker and others. The
product of the weavers can supply the
clothing given to the destitute; that of
the brick and tile maker can furnish
material for village school houses, and
enlargement of accommodation for the
famine orphans and widows, In addi-
ton to this, opening of cheap grain
shops, supply seed to the farmers and
helping to save their cattle
The undersigned, committee ap-
pointed for this purpose at the mass
meeting of the churches of Mankato
held last Sunday evening, ask all citi-
zens of Blue Earth county whose hearts
are touched by the sufferings of so
many of their fellow men, to contri
butte in proportion to their ability to
relieve these sufferings. The Free
Press and the Review have kindly con-
sented to receive contributions from
the citizens of Mankato. or they may
be sent directly to any member of the
committee. These will be forwarded
through such organizations as may be
designated by the givers, or through
those which the committee shall find
to be trustworthy, efficient and eco
nomical.
Let no one who reads this appeal de-
lay to answer it.
April "a. 1900.
M DhTMEP