The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-13
FAMINE IN INDIA.
Tho Testimony Of British witnesses AZ TO the
british Goyrrnment,s Responsihility

To THE EDITOR OF THE SrN SIR The
Ecumenical Conference having ceased from lis
lahors the Indian famine having been v"nti-
lated. the British Government fumigaied and
given n clean hill Of henlth. with many %orntori-
cal posies from English and American mission
aries. II may not he amiss In the calm which
succeeds the recent hurry -burlv to look
anew and determine whether there are any
lessons 10 10 learned by ourselves and the
worthy lahorerS in tho fields Of the worlds
work for the amelioration Of The miseries of
mankind
If there Is one thing on which the American
people are united It Il their detestation II i'm
perialism The party ont of power has sought,
and IS sffl seeking. 10 make political capital out
Of that detcs,ation by charging tho party in
! power with imperiali4tic designs upon the late
Spanish islands added to our domain That
charge Is both false and malicious or, II that
language be barred as undiplomntic. We are
obliged to say that the charge must be made
through u dense ignorance of what imperialism,
az revealed in the pages Of history. really II.
| We may find a continuing performance on the
part of Great Britain in the history Of British
India. and a new chapter is now being written
in South Africa BIT, magnify to the limit all
the bleinishes I'm the conduct Of the American
Government. both legislative and executive,
and the net result il as far from British inn
perialism a. the night from day.
The limits OF q letter are 30 narrow that ]
! scarcely know how to select the necessarily few
paragraphs which must suffice TO give your
readers a glimpse or two Of the real thing
government of a conquered people by a "su-
perior race. who have no interest in the former
save that Of wringing from them all the
pounds. shillings and pence they may be forced
TO Shed. by fair means and foul.
Your readers will all remember. for It was
during one of the closing days of the Confer
enc". how wa wore assured that the British
Government was In no way responsible for In
dian famines; that they were inevitable, and
that they were occasions requiring the pity.
sympathy and cash of the whole civilized
world Yet, lest We forget, ] must again re-
mind you that Lord George Hamilton has again
refused to make a treasury grant from the i'm
perial exciequer for the relief Of the diving
rayats, but refers the petitioners TO the Indian
Government, pats the merciful private con-
tributorS of England and America on the back,
and bids them gOdspeed in their great and
good work since every dollar so contributed is
equivalent TO a dollar added 10 the imperial
treasury. because without this public relief he
would be Obliged for very shame To give back
"a Crlmb of the billions eNtorted from India by
the imperial supremacy of the Anglo-SaxOn
rae" over an impoverished people
But 1t will be more 10 the purpose 10 call a few
witnesses At a conference of Indians resident
In the United Kingdom. called bv the London
Indian Society, the following resolution was
passed
tamines IN India are preyentablc, that tn. main cause
Is the evil Of the dram from the resources Of India,
caused = an unnatural system O. government and
there Is no chance for an tiirctual remedy or for the
general welfare Of the r,op,e q India that for an
ference. while very thankful for the Mansion House
fund and other similar Efforts, prays for a substantial
financial assistance by a direct grant from the British
t~XcheHuet
OF course the Imperial Government fastened
10 vote a liberal grant of cash, Did they, In
sixty millions of Threatened East Indians 10 the
sleek imperialists OF the United Kingdom? Let
them die, let them eat one another II they need
food
let us call the editor OF the Modras Standard,
Mr. Parameswaran Pillai, b. A
England has estn hlishsd In India a government
which IS the coStlIeNt In the world, and that unfortu-
nate country has had TO maintain not only that form
Of g%oy.rnment but also largely 70 support the inst,
the Government Of India seemed to him 10 be that Of
wanting TO have the cake and 10 eat II as well. Tho
lines Of prosperity they could not save anything Tor
their requirements In times OF adversely and during
famines they had 10 suffer severely.
Now let Us hear Mr. Dadahhni Naoroji, Presi-
dent of the London Indian Society:
since the commencement OF the connection Of
England and India many wars have taken, place in
formation Of the great British .Empire IN india.
These wars. with an army Of goo 600 70 100000
must have cost hundreds OF millions OF pounds and
Besidcs III. formation Of the British Fmpir. in
India, It's maintenance from beginning to end must
have cost some hundreds OF millions Of pounds
Next, the Fast India Company from It's com
mrncement, RENTED to England every year = large
was supposed TO be IS, 900. 900 a year. This drain
has amounted in thirty years. With interest. 10
So constant and accumulating a drain. even from
England, would soon impoyeriNh her. How severe
then must be It's effect on india, whore the wages Of
a laborer Is from twopence TO three ~ ice a day.
bsSdes this public ,smi,,.nc. to England I. Is
Semittanets Of The or,cals q the day who anassed
vast, wealth by corruption and oppression OF every
Tn. public r-mittanc. Of g.. 900 900 per snnum
has been developed 10 about twenty million pounds.
T peoeia sum " I mhS' 20 20 '2 pay for TveI Euiyo rsf Oy Service. WI s'R IN
both countries befor. they can enjoy even a iar,hing's
worth Of II, own pTIod1c' ,hem,elveS ,.,.,,,.,
place in the formation Of the British EN- pire in India.
and Tor ths maintensncs o. ms smSirr no, a .ngie
The whole burden has been laid on the Indian people.
TO the last %farthing'
Even the Gao. 600. 900 expended in SURPRISING tho
mu,lny OF the soldiers In tho service OF the empire
which was In no sense the act or fault Of the Indian
R r: YTnd, Sas IaTu si , gpSSn l BTiFG, an x &c, s Thtcn 4 frG 'Sina
that the f4o, 900. 900 sterling which this revolu-
, III. y :q inG fGs' Is 4 7 s sT.iv man GH' SsG TO S6 p,se, r on ' fa.l pt no
doubt that f4O. 600. 900 sterling would have to be paid
out NJ the taxes levied on the people OF this country"
England,
The only excrrtion TO these relentless exactions Of
the conquerors Of India was In the ease Of the Afghan
war. the cost Of which was f2O,O O0. 900. OF which
Is. 900. 400 were paid from the British Exchequer,
while SIS, 600. 900 were ground from the rayalsof
India.
The cos, " everything with which the name Of
India could be connected, no matter how much soever
British interests were involved. was laid on the
shoulders Of India: and In addition to that. mp 10 the
the wealth n that country have heen drawn away to
England; rendering Il the poorest and most wretched
country on the face 81 the earth.
THIS, then. is the only true cause Of the poverty
and the CONSEQUENT famine, plague and diseases Of
every kind from which that wre'ched country
suffers,
There Is n picture OF genuine imperialism that
II hehooves our American anti-imperialists to
ponder To resume.
Besides the payment ~ the whole cost NJ the
British Indian Empire and the thousands Of millions
Nf remittance. the normal condition Is fTSt the pay.
ment II 400. oOo, 600 rupees annually required Tor
the European agencies; neIt the utter inability of
India to have any capital Of her own, the whole man
agemPn, NJ Us resources being In the hands ~ British
interests. md the result Is that vast sums are every
year drawn from Indian wealth to England, whether
India b" furnishing or starving or p%et!Shlng
II IL for the British public TO consider whether the
continuous. enormOus drain being the cause Of these
faminrS England should not nay ior such fAminrs.
n his relief be not given the whole cost ~ IA mine
relief to the Government Of india Will mean SO much
ad litlonal future burden upon this wretchrd people.
For every iArhing spent by the Government Of India
will he eyarfed from them. making every sucCe SsIve
ceding one
-. go - ~ 49, llAnr A~I N--IE..,