Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-08-26
TINE INDIA FAMINE.

siocuSscu on lndia ana the terrible famine
there raging. Money for the relief of tho
& starving millions Is still pouring into the
treasures of the various RELIEF commit
tees. The Christian Herald. Biblo House,
New York, which IS raising tho largest
fund OF all. for tho distressed people
makes the gratifying report that all
America. with unabating generosity, is
still working for the fund.- gathering
money from every possible source
Every dollar sent In is promptly ac-
knowledged in the pages OF the Christian
Herald.
ellison Wlllcts, the author and Journal
list. recently returned from journey
through the famine stricken region, was
seen yesterday by representative of
this paper. He said:
THE famine is above all big famine
You can search ali the books In the
British Museum and you won't find rec
ord of a bigger famine. The breadiess
area covers $4,000 square miles, which is
one-third of all India, or as big as all
Canada. In this area are 5OOOO,OOO people,
one-sixth the entire poulation of India,
q number equal to our entire well fed
family east of the, Mississippi. Ten mil
lions are entirely destitute, and of these
the government is taking care of $500, 600
on relief works and In poor houses. 1t is
as II every man, woman and child in New
York state depended upon the Mckinley
administration for food and got It, AS
many as possible of the remaining 5000
oo1 are cared for by missionaries and
private charity.
Now. as to the question of why the
British or Indian Government is not able
TO assume tho entire burden of caring
for. the starving millions. On this sub
Ject Lord Curzon, the Viceroy. is the best
authority for the fact that external aid
Is very welcome and that aid from Amer
lea Is especially appreciated. In recent
public speech he said that no No false
mo civ IYntr fr.slt IL
reply. The Government, he added. is
straining every nerve, is pouring, out it's
however severe. From October. 1899. the
beginning of the famine. until December,
1900, we anticipate that we. shall have
upon direct relief; two millions upon sus-
pension and remissons Of land revenue;
vances chat will in many cases never
be recovered), for the purchase of seed
and cattle; three-quarters Of million
But over and above this expenditure.
which .cripples our development in a
need which. do what we may, we can
barely reach, and. In which extraneous
contributions supply an invaluable rein,
the. aged and inflrm; of sick patients
in the hospitals; of children and orphans:
of those men and women who will endure
almost any prvation sooner than submit
themselves to the Quasi-publicity of gov
ernment relief This is held of enormous
and almost undiScOverable extent, the
margin of which the already overworked
official hardly touches, but which is. in
property of Individual effort and of prl-
waite generosity. Fast as the money may
come, In. not less swiftly is 1t diverted
and distributed into the various channels
of relief. Here We have no cast iron or
official system. The unit of relief organi-
cation is the district committee, in which
the non-ofricial element almost Invariably
predominates. Officials and non officials.
Europeans and natives. Christians. Mis-
lrt
come the corporation OF all. since all
are enlisted in the same Catholic service
latest news that reaches me testihes to a
great outburst of practical sympathy in
the United States OF America.
Mr.. Willets, the streets of Bombay
were full of starving people while over
the and rd% Snd
British Brit 81 flag flag f tioafed gay iye' i ''
of the ee Great Western Hotel, where /
stopped. a dozen brown bodies with lean
forms and robust lungs They clam nor
them even crumb. To give them money
by a mad mob. Thus famine greeted me
the very moment of my arrival.
One day. in big village. l was watch
starving boys, the older one leading his
from nll's Sheer exhaustion. The grain dealer
never noticed them, though he might
have helped. them very practically. The
rapidly. his mouth flew wide open. he
rolled on his side, his limbs stiffcned In
death His brother, , looked on ,a, for few
to his feet and run away.
That's about all there Is I'm death and
in that part of the world. at present.
Tho Hindu has no fear of death, rather
welcomes 1t. Hundreds listed as famine
deaths were suicides, their weapon of
self-destruction being VIII. The Hindu,
finding himself st, starving helpless pies; AN, and
self into the Other world.
"Other famine sufferers. grown up Hin
lus as well as young 11indus, crouchcd. or
other grain cribs But never dld 1t occur
TO n fat bunniah to throw a handful of
grain to the starving ones; Your Hindu
not to step on an ant-klling things Is
forbidden by his relgion-but he will not
lift his hand TO save q human life. He Is
not his brothers. keeper.
II took train northward from Bonn
bay, II started out In the night, almost
noise, If reluctant to enter the area
Of desoation and death. There were very
few passengers-only plague doctor;
inspector and DR.. Louis Illopsch. then
touring the stricken districts in the in
Christian Herald OF which he is owner.
For why should any save those who Were
compelled 30 out into that vast waste?
twenty-five miles from Bombay vege-
tation grew sparse. OF course few
weeds grittily chung to life, cactus thrivod
pluckily and some OF the trees still had
leaves enough for shade purposes. FIFTY
miles up, however, vegetation ceased
From the carriage windows eyes searched
the miles vainy for single green speck
we had passed even the last weed.
AT small station we came to n dead
stop. and began uttering American blue
words against the slowness OF train SER
vice IN the East. when perceived hor-
rible hideous group representing starya-
tion The anathemas i was still venting
StODnPd In thrnnf "a nd lIkn nSh DC