The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-06-15
FRIDAY. JUNE 16, 1900
PLAGUE. pnsTILENcE AND FAM


Few things had more terror for t4'e great
majority of people in the middle ages
than The eyer-present possibility OF famine
such divine and fearful Affections as the
Black Death were borne with the foru-
,pda of tatalism from the consciousness
,bn, r}oueh severe. their occurrence was
rare But the gaunt spectre OF famine
was always before their eyes. only waiting
for frost. drought, rain or war to ofeaA
out in all of its terror
We of this day and generation have
Sums and filthy tenements. outrageous.s
overcrowded ja4ls and asylums with az
Of their long trains of miseries' but W."
have never been brought face to face
with the extraordinary simple proposition
Of starvation because there was no'hlhs
ia eat. individuals may, and often do
s,arye: more,s the shame and pity sut
the proud Anglo-saxon, be he English or
American, looks On with the scientific IN
1erest Of well-fed race, whose nation
nod never fear such catastrophe Ana
vet his emancipation is of very recent
dale for England. al least, has always
felt so secure Less than century ago
The Rev. MI Nautilus wrote a celepra'eo
,reatisn showing how slight an increase
of population would bring England TO
famine prices. Even in the days of Eliza
,,eth The prices of bread We're SO inordi-
nately high and the suffering 50 wide
spresa that Parliament was driven 10
enact the first Poor law as the only pos
eibIa way OF alternating the suffering.
While in 1l24. BY means Of changing
the CONE all things became very deere
whereof an extreame famine did arise and
aaiict the multitude of the people unto
d.athe..-a danger OF debased currency,
which was only learned by grim expo
rience.
To-day we are seeing Mr.. Nautilus de-
ductions verified in India, where the pop"-
lation has learned 10 exist on so small a
ration that the least diminution in the an
oua, crop affects all. For 10 diminish the
daily allowance OF the average Indian OF
s-yhsnese ooolie is not 10 cut off luXurles,
,,,t 10 take away from the smallest
amount OF food on which life can
ne supported IL is an uaoouoIeo
law that the population tends TO
adjust itself to the food supply, and when
he supply fails the population IS ineSora-
hlv reduced by death. as witness the
state Of India to-day. Yet, from the DAY
of Joseph. the Prime Minister and FIRST
ord of the Granaries to Pharaoh, even
to this day OF power for the Hon George
C,lrzon. viceroy OF India, the difhculty
has been TO get food transported from the
districts that are supplied to the districts
that are not There is no famine IN Eng
land to-day. despite the enormous IN
crease in population, because the grain
fields of the United States and South
America are filling the mouths that the
small supply from England has left emp
~. Suppose America and Brazil and Ar
rentina stopped sending flour and cattle,
how long would England laste And sup
nose some part of the cost Of the war now
going on in the Transvaal were used 70
purchase and distribute food 10 The starry
Ing Hindoos, how long would the famine
in India LASH
1t is very easy to critieise situation
like that which exists in India to-day,
And the Brush can point our the six and
half million pounds they spent in the
famine OF ASIA, and the ten million pounds
they spent in the famine Of 1873. and ever
Mr.. Kipling. In his story. William The
conqueror, may throw the eiamor of nj:
arr around The British methods Of fight
ing The famine. but the fact remains thai
the famine is there. and that the wal
goes on. especially in South Africa
Fssnines IN India have occurred frots
time inmeinorial- and the English canno
be held responsible for the drought, eNcep
in SO far as ii was caused by cutting dowi
forests TO burn in railway locomotives
But there is one thing that the dyins
Ii.ndoos can require at the hands of IN,
English. and il is this. Where IS tn
~amfna fund ifass. was raised by take