Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-13
GROWTH OF RELIEF FUND
OVER 100000 RAISED FOR DEsTI-
TUTE IN INDIA.
Report of Local Committee Made
Public, Together With Report
of New York Committee.

| the Americo-India famine relief committee,
to which is attached the second report OF
the executive committee of the New York
committee of one hundred, the receipts of
the relief treasury are over $4,000 The
really organized effort has scarcely extend
ed beyond two and half months. The
rate of daily receipts has been upward OF
$1,000 The contributions have come from
every section of the country. Many of
the gifts have been of small amounts-from
1 cent upward.
The cooperating committees of Boston
New Haven. Hartford. Philadelphia, Dalti-
more, Washington, Indianapolis, Lafayette,
Ind, and San Francisco have forwarded
considerable sums. ST. Louis and M1lwau-
kee have now taken up .he work.
News by cable from Indias viceroy. the
governor of Bombay and other officials,
from American missionaries and from news
paper correspondents, report general rain
fall in the famine-stricken districts and
prospects brighter than at any time for the
past two years.
This means that the gaunt, woful, hideous
figure of famine is being literally drowned.
River-beds. which for twenty-four months
have been barred to the sky and baked by
the sun, till rockhard, are now gradually
softening into their natural muddiness.
Streams are Eanfesting signs of>life. The
water in the few wells which were not
drained by the long drought are growing
deeper, and fields, meadows farms. graz
ing grounds, garden plots in fact, the whole
parched EARTH Is giving promise of generous
fertility, as in the years gone by.
Famine Still Prevails.
But these are, after ALL only signs and
promises, which, while restoring hope to the
hearts of the stricken millions must not be
taken meaning that the famine is at an
end. Famine may be dying, but Is not yet
dead. She still stalks abroad in all the
| western and central provinces, and for at
| least three months to come she will con-
tinue her deadly work.
AS the cause of the awful distress and des-
olation was lack of rain, it will take a
very long, steady rainfall to restore the
ground to condition rich enough to yield.
With the exception of q Cne-hou- shower on
July 20 of last year, he present rainfall is
the first western India has known for four
and twenty months. Hence, not Until rain
has fallen continuously for weeks anl
weeks will the ground be sufficiently soaLe d
and softened to assure the raising of a
crop.
The million men and women, who, after
indescribable suffering, have succumbed
since the famine began not only to starVa-
tion. but to fever, plague and cholera be-
sides, have left fully half a million father
less, motherlesS children. When the govern
ment closes its relief works. its poorhouses,
sending millions of absolutely penniless peo-
pie to their desolate homes to begin life's
struggle over again, what is to become of
the parentless, ownerless children? Who
is to shelter them. clothe, feed, instruct
them and fit them for lives of usefulness?
Solution of Problem
A plan for the solution of this problem
has been formed by DIR. Louis Klopsch, pro-
prietor of the Christian Herald.
He says: Living expenses in India are
light. The expense of caring for the 100000
orphans, while stupendous in the aggregate,
is yet easily within reach when consider
ed one by one. 1t is not to be expected
that any one person should assume the
whole responsibility. Yet every one can do
something
Five cents for every working day or 30
cents a week will clothe feed, shelter and
instruct child, and there are but few
people who cannot undertake the respons-
iity for one child, giving part themselves
and collecting the balance from friends and
nelghbors- To every person so contributing
Will be given the name and address of the
orphan for whom they have assumed re-
sponsibilfty, and once every three months
they will receive an English letter from
India, either from the child or from its
teacher, reporting the progress 1t is MAX
ing. | am sure the charitable, sympathetic
people OF our prosperous country will prove
equal to the occasion and tens of thou
sands of famine waits will be saved for
lives of Christian usefulness"
Receipts Acknowledged.
The treasurer of the Washington COM
mittee acknowledges receipts as follows:
Previously acknowledged w 50, $40 II
Received August 10
Engineers Dept, government
printing office. observation-disclosures. 5 10