The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-18
A FAMINE STRICKEN LAND
Conditions III India Described by
the Rev. Justin A. Abbott.
The Organizer of Citizens Relief
Committees in New York and Bal
timorc Tells of the Need of Aid
Ten Millions of People Destitute
An Appeal to BE Made in This City.

| Ten Millions of People Destitute
An Appeal to BE Made In This City
| Rev. Justin A. Abbott for eighteen
the congregation at Westminster Memo
rial Church last night on the Indian
| famine and the need of relief from
America. The British Government, he de-
clared, is doing all in its power to ale
viate the suffering and has 100000 people
in the relief camps: but the auxiliary
work of nursing and restoration which the
| missionaries do Is most important.
Rev Mr. Abbott attended the Ecumeni-
| cal Conference in New York recently, and
while there organized the committee OF
one hundred business men who are super
vising the relief work being done by this
country. He has since been in Baltimore,
where he organized a similar committee.
Now he is planning to organize relief
work in Washington. Commissioner Mac
farland is much interested in the move
ment, and a preliminary meeting will he
held at his Office this afternoon to discuss
the plans for raising funds here.
Mr.. Abbott's address last night dealt
almost solely with the famine conditions
in India He answered many of the Ques-
lions which had been put to him.
Most of ALL" he said. I am asked for
the real cause of the famine. There is
but one reason for 1.-THE lack Of rain.
Indian rains are most irregular The
monsoons commence to blow in June and
striking the mountains they precipitate
whatever moisture may be in the air upon
the thirsty land. Ordinarily the farmer
reaps two crops year. The first is plant
ed. perhaps. in July and harvested in No
vember. Then he repeats the process and
gets his crops again in March. They are
a simple people Of thrifty habits and this
method usually suffices to maintain the
300. C00.00O people in India. Indeed, many
millions more could be sustained.
But once in nearly every twenty years
there comes a fearful drought and the
whole livelihood Of the people is cut of.
During the months of June, July, and Au-
gust last year the rains came on time,
but were not of sufficient quantity The
grain which was put in the ground blew
away. and now for year past there has
not been green blade Of grass for man or
beast. That awful condition extends over
a territory of $4,000 square miles, popu-
lated by as many people as there are in
the United States. The streams are dried
up the wells are dry. and the whole popu-
lation is seeking not only food, but water
as well.
You may enquire why the people are
not living on the reserves of food and
money which they should have accumu-
lated. The laborers there are paid IN
sheayes of grain and when the drought
came on the farmers shut off expenditures
of all kinds. Since there is no crop there
is no work for the laborers, and as con-
sequence they are starving.
The question is often put why the
people of America are now besought for
money rather than for grain. We are
asked what good money will do without
grain. But there is grain. for as soon as
the drought set in the spectators and
grain merchants commenced hauling it
into the famine district, and the railways
are doing four times their usual amount
OF traffic on that account. II the people
had money they could get food, but 10000
600 of them are absolutely destitute OF |
money with which to Buy. Perhaps 6.0o8-
0OO are engaged in the Government work |
of irrigation. planned to relieve the starv- |
ing. The Government Is furnishing work |
rather than charity in order to prevent |
IT,
say that the Government Is nobIy keeping !
its promise to afford work to every man,
woman. and child who will call Every
one who appears is put at, employment In
the great relief camps OF from 5000 to
$4,000 each. They are given so much q |
day or cents-aceording to the price
of grain.
Then you may ask, II ell corners may
get relief work. why is there reed for
help from America. Ii is this: The peo-
pie dread going into these relief camps
Their reasons may not be good ones. but
they are sufficient to keep them away.
Perhaps it is their pride, Many of these
once wealthy farmers Will starve rather
than accept charity Many CT the wome n
raised in the zerarah. who have never in
their life seen man on the street. dreal
beyond death the publicity of the camps
Then there are caste prejudices. and there
Is the awful ignorance which keeps
thousands OF the people from all knowl-
edge OF the relief. At last, when starving
and desolate. these people may be driven
10 the camps; their feeble strength proves
and many of them die on the
road.
Let me again reterate my high regard
If the noble work which the British Gov
,rnment is doing for the salvation OF its
people. The worth Of that Governments
work is conceded and praised even by the
natives themselves. Horrible as are the
conditions in British India. the state OF
Kings is infinitely worse in the rative
states the English officials do rot reach
The brutality of the Weather Indians
here toward their starving brethren is
hdeous. They seem to care 70
nore for dying child than for an emaeiat-
d dog. The conditions are awful, beyond ,
understanding. Missionaries living amolg {
hese Hill people write me of sickening
tarvation, where little ones BIZ hundreds
re dying in the field to furnish food f.r .
ackals ard dogs. Think of it. We Chris {
ian mothers! AT this moment thousands {
4 babes are dying for want of proper c
God. {
You ask what is done with the funds a
hat you may give. II is handled by the {
missionaries who work as auxiliary to \
he Government. The missionaries it is y
Tho take the starving ones in hand and t
eed them with proper food until they .
lay regain such strength as will enable =
hem to so ON with the relief work which n
ne Government provides. Then, TOO. they v
Irnish cotton for the weavers pay them r
'r converting it into cloth. and distribute
he goods free to the naked. OF else sell
at a low rate to those who can buy
nd with every gift of food or money.
nd every drink of water the missionaries "
reathe prayer and tell the message OF
hrist. The result of It all must be an =
immense spiritual uplifting for the gtarv- n
,g land. b
1T is my calculation that when this ii
anime is over there will be fully 10000 b
hildren who must be cared for. You a
now the capabilities OF those Indian y
inds. When properly trained they make a
oble men and women. and now comes a S,
magnificent opportunity for the Christian il
zen and women of America By taking | i