The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-19
AID FOR STRICKEN india
A Committee of One Hundred TO Be
Appointed in Washington.
The Rev. Justin f. Abbott Makes m
Appeal to a Meeting of Citizens
Recent Movements Organized .n
baltimore and New York-Thc Dis
trict Com missioncrs Take Action.

At the request Of Commissioner Macfar-
land several prominent citizens assembled
at his office yesterday afternoon to conf I
with him regarding the matter Of raising
funds In Washington to relieve the famine
in India. Those present were John Joy Ed
! son, President of the Board of Trade; W. S.
Knox, President of the Business Mems
Association: B. T. Janney, J. B. Larner, NJ
! l. Weller, W. F. Downey, and Barry Bulk
ley.
Rev. Justin E. Abbott, q missionary Of tie
American Board of Foreign Missions. was
| present. and spoke at length of the need OF
funds to aid the starving people of India.
He is in Washington in the interests Of the
| committee Of 100 recently appointed in New
York TO aid the cause in that city and
throughout the country. Those present
were informed that movements similar to
that in New York had been iraugurated in
Boston and Baltimore.
The appeal set forth by the Baltimore
committee of 100 is as follows:
1.-The unprecedented tragedy of the pres
emit time in India Demands unprecedented
bounty. AS the hours pass. men. women.
and children are Staggering their last
steps ere they liendown to die. In The
morning living infants are often taken
from the stifrened arms of mothers who
have died during, the, night.
Even though the monsoon brings rain
in the latter part of June and in July,
as all hope 1t may. the stricken farmers,
without cattle to cultivate the ground.
or seed with which to SOW it, will not
be able. without assistance. to rise above
the present deplorabie state.
THE Government of India is providing
Tor six millions daily; yet SO great is the
territory affected. and so high the death
rate In the hundreds Of native States
where Government has little control. that
the call for help from favored America
grows louder every hour.
Now Is the time for city and State
to move to the rescue of the $4,000, 900 of
our fellow-beings who are in the stricken
section, one-sixth of whom are even now
! threatened with death from sheer hunger
and thirst. We have only to stop and
think for a few moments OF the intensity
of the need, and how awful starvation is,
to be willing to share both our abundance
| and our morsel with those whose cry Of
woe is today being heard around the
world
There is not a minute to be lost! Sub
scriptions sent in today may be cabled
to India tomorrow. From to cents a
day will save life. VIII you not help?"
This appeal is signed by John E. Hunt.
Arthur H. Ewing. and L. L. Jackson. The
treasurer Of the Baltimore fund is Alex
ander Brown & Sons. and the movement
is in charge Of an executive committee
comprised Of Lloyd L. Jackson. Chairman:
David Ambach. Summerfed Baldwin.
George Blackstone. Walter B. Brooks. jr.,
William T. Dixon. Charles d. Fisher.
James A. Gary. Henry NJ. Hurd, John E.
Hurst. Michael Jenkins. Alfred S. Niles.
Robert Ramsay, Frank Redwood, and j.
Hume Smith.
Mr.. Abbott said that the cause of the
famine is traceable directly to the lack
OF rain there. The rains in that country
come irregularly. The monsoon winds
blow in from the sea. and as these breezes
strike the mountains the moisture is pre-
cipitated over India. This continues as
a general rule for about four months.
When the rain comes the farmer sows
his seed. and by October the crops are
ready for harvesting. Seed is again sown
and in January the second crop is harvest
ed. The entire people of India. simple
in their habits and fare. are thus enabled
to live on the fruit of the soil. Then
comes a drought. Famines have always
existed IN lncla, ana thiS Is no new thing.
Last year the rain failed. A large part
Of the people are farmers, and when these
men fail the laborer must also fail, as
the latter class is dependent upon the
farmer for sustenance.
After hearing the appeal of Mr.. Abbott
resolution IVES adopted that it was the
sense OF the meeting that the Commits
sioners should appoint a committee of 100
for Washington and inaugurate here a
movement similar to that in Baltimore
and New York.
After the meeting Commissioner Mac
farland presented the matter to his asso-
ciates on the Board, and they agreed with
him in adopting the request of the citi-
zens. The committee. therefore, will be
made up as soon as possible and announc-
cd, when it will meet and formally organ
ize the movement for raising famine
fund in the District.