The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-04-11
ENYELOPED BY FAMINE.
midas Distresses Greater Now Than
Ever Before.

Ever Before.
4 report to the State Department from
Consul William T. Fee. at Bombay. dated
January %, alludes to the distressing con-
ditioDs prevailing in India, whose people
were then, the Consul writes, face to face
with an unprecedented famine Of water,
food, and cattle. The number of people in
receipt of relief, Consul Fee writes. has al
ready swollen to abnormal proportions.
considering that the season Of acute dis
tress has hardly commenced The returns
far exceed those recorded during the initial
stsse OF the famine three years ago. At
this period of the famine Of 1869. only
Loco 800 persons were receiving govern
Inent relief in all India; tod y. the official
estimate places the number of $500 coo
and the daily expenditure at about $84 coo
The southwest monsoons upon which
the animal and vegetable life Of India sub
stantially depend), laden with the moist
ure Of the Indian Ocean and the Arabian
Sea. break in June upon the Malabar coast
and for three months food India with a
rainfall averaging about 100 inches. The
rains Of the last monsoon proved from
half TO a total failure. and famine was
then threatened 10 a large portion OF the
country. 1t was still hoped that The au-
tumnal crops OF southern India might be
saved by good northeast monsoon in No
vember. and in central and upper India
by early abundant winter rains. The nor
NAL time for winter rains has now passed
by On the east coast the usual rains IN
November and December, which are term
ed the northeast moDsoons, but in reality
attend the withdrawal O. the monsoon cur
rent from the Bay Of Bengal failed 10 q
very large extent. Elsewhere throughout
India. abnOrmally high day temperatures
were unaccompauied by the usual dews at
night while the cold weather has been eX-
JraOrdinarlly raiuiess. in so much that
only during the last few days have there
been any signs OF the winter showers.
These conditions have still further injured
the autumn crops and diminished the pros
poets Of a spring harvest. thereby greatly
charging the affected area and intensity
ing the distress.
The rice crop Of Burma and Bengal has
fully realized expectations and constitutes
a great reserve food for the rest Of India
The Northwestern Provinces and Oudh
have successfully sown their winter crops.
which have been greatly benefited by rain
in the past week. In Madras and Mys0re.
the abrupt disappearance OF the monsoon
y
will be indifferent over large areas. but
except in few places. no distress re-
curing relief is anticipated here In the
irrigated or inundated tracts Of Sind and
the southwest Puniab. the crops will be
somewhat short owing 70 the contracted
area OF inundatiOn By the Indus and its
tributaries. due to diminished volume Of
water in the canals but the shOrtucss
viii be-UOmparatively small These tracts
viii. as in former years yield food in
excess Of local requirements and viii pro-
az from the misfOTJunes Of their neigh
bOTs.
The famine district embraces the
greater part Of Bombay Presidency. most Of
the Nyz8m's dOmiUiCUs Of HyGerabad. the
western half OF the Central Provinces. the
western states OF Central India. the entire
part OF Raiputaua the southeast Of Pun
jail ard a large portion OF the native
states Of Clutch and Gujarat The true
famine area in British India and the native
states wiz thus be about 100000 square
miles. with a population OF 10000 coo. There
is a further area Of about 1850 square
miles. with a population Of 2lC00CQ0. in
which more or less scarcity and distress
prevail. where relief Is already being Civ
eu in tentative form. or viii probably
have 10 be given before the advent Of the
next monsoon Thus. the area and pOpula-
ri0E affected by the drought Is larger both
I'm British territory and the native states
than was anticipated in October last As
a whole the autumn harvest of 1899 was
the worst on record for many years. while
the present spring harvest on uuirrigated
land occupies little more than half the area
sowu In either OF the last two years
The Hberality of the local and general
government Of IL1ia is most marked.
Fl % OH
Nothing seems 10 stem the flow Of the
people 10 the relief works. and the num-
Der IN receipt Of state aid advanced an
other 100000 during the week. bringing the
total up to the appalling figure Of a.5G6.-
600. The most trying period of the famine
Is stil two months ahead and even now
70 is questionable whether the financial re-
sources OF the government and the power
10 provide useful employment for such Vast
numbers viii be equal 10 The strain. If
present standards are 10 be maintained
Agricultural prospects are growing
gloomy, and the water famine increases IA
intensity. Lord CuTzOn. the NigrIGy OF
India. IN an address 20 the imperial leg
islative council on the 18th inst called
attention to another feature Of the present
distress. During the famine years of 1896
q. the whole external world seemed TO
share midas sorrow and contributed 20 al
leyiate its distress. The attention q En-
gland was then turned upon suffering In
dia. and hundreds OF thousands of pounds
were contributed by generous hearts
New. the thoughts of almost every En-
glishman throughout the Empire axe fixed
upon the war IN South Africa. 10 would
be tCO much 10 expect that England can
again come 10 the rescue as speedily as
she did in 1897. and il seems clear that
India must ighJ the plague and famine