The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-08-27
GREAT NEED OF RELIEF.
awful Extent of the Suffering by
Famine in Indin


Clarence F. Norment, Treasurer OF the
Washington Committee of One Hundred on
India Famine Relief, has received the
following letter from L. t. Chamberlain,
Executive Chairman of the New York Com
mittee of One Hundred:
My Dear Sir; Not wholly easy is ii to
express TO you, and to your committee, the
satisfaction with which the New York
committee, has received the remittance of
81, 45e-41 The gift shows the generosity
of the citizens of Washington, and proves
the wise efficiency Of the Washington com
mittee.
The gift is not only generous, but also
timely | have been not little anxious.
| lest the impression should come to prevail
that the acuteness of the distress was over.
so that relief gifts were no longer urgently
needed. The following cabegTam received
August % from our Americo-Indian Relief
Committee in Bombay, by the hand of
United States Consul William T. Fee re-
yeais the existing situation.
Famine distress is appalling Thousands
VIII die of starvation, unless rescued. Mon
ey is needed TO buy both food and blankets
The suffering from lack of clothing is ter
| rible Cholera still active. The condition
OF destitute women and deserted children
are
IN heartrending need. FEE. Consul
II ne favorable rains, falling on desti-
tute, shelterless millions, have actually
| intensified the immediate suffering
Nor can there be any essential better
ment in the situation until after India s
harvests Of next October and November.
The prospect for those harvests is far
from satisfactory. The wasted emaciatad
peasant farmers, their oxen being dead,
have no. been able properly to prepare
the soil In many instances, they have
nos been able to procure the proper seed
in proper quantity. That necessitates
crops far below the average. ! have no
doubt thar, even after next November
the situation will be intensely distressful.
Plainly the Washington Committee is right
in resolving to continue its relief work.
Generous gifts viii surely be required for
months to come II VIII still be sheer star
walton, with the added sufferings of ex-
posture and lack of clothing.
ION the other hand. the facilities for
relief not Iessened- In the actual
famine district. it still is true that from
10 ) cents a day Will save a life, and
that cents day will provide food, cloth
ing, and shelter. The So ass Al, with other
gifts amounting to nearly $4,000. will be
Cabled TO India Friday, August 81, without
expense. 1--WE cable regularly once a
week. -Four days thereafter. the gift NAV
De thought or as providing day s food
for $4,000 hungry persons. including not d
few famished children. or buying 1859
blankets. for the almost naked. or en-
| abling nearly LOCO impoverished peasant
farmers to reseed their fields.
The British Government is providing
for six millions daily. and the benevolent
people OF Great Britain and her dependen-
cies are providing each day for half mil
lion more. yet there remain great numbers
in mortal peril To feed and shelter the
otherwise unrescued. is Americas oppor-
tunity. l trust she will not stay her boun-
tiful hand
Indeed. 1 beg to add a word respecting
the thousands upon thousands of orphaned
and deserted children, for 1t is evident that
their condition will require special atten-
ton, even after the horrors Of death by
starvation and exposure have passed.
Those children, if their rescue is to be a
blessi lg and not a curse, must have more
than provision fer their lowest physical
necessities. They must be helped by some
means, into the path toward good charac-
ter and real usefulness. II has occurred
TO me that possibly some simple form of
industrial schools might be provided and
am diligently seeking from India. and
also from the British Government in Lon
don. the full facts. When the information
is procured it viii be laid before the
Washington committee