The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-09-30
Famine Threatens
China'S Millions

Correspondence OF the Associated Press.)
Tien Tsin. China, Aug. 29.-General
apprehension is felt here of a famine
when the cold weather sets in. Foreign
residents of Tien Tsin not hesitate to
predict terrible s -ng among the
natives, and mil airy men who have
looked into conditions in the Pei-Ho
valley are inclined to believe that the
fear of famine is well founded.
Already there is considerable suffer-
ing, although fresh produce is coming
In slowly, and what the result will be
when frost puts an end to vegetation is
not difficult to foresee
F.ice, the great staple of China. is no
,ohSeF IN the market this far north.
Every sack of the white grain has been
commanded or purchased by the allies
and the natives, thus unable 70 bI1v II
must depend on the charity of the
FORCES: The supply on hand is none too
pientltUl. 1t is practically impossible
20 eSumate even roughly the quantity.
but it is stated to be considerably less
thah normal. Usually at this season
the river is crowded with vessels bring
ing the winters supply of rice from the
souIh' but now every available craft is
IN the service of the forces, transport
ing supplies and materials, consequent
~ there is little chance that anv CON
siderable quantity of rice can arrive be-
tween now and the freezing of the
rive--. The situation is conceded to be
very GrItlcai' and the outlook is for
great loss of life.
Complete Relief is Impossible.
At best the military authorities. even
with a systematic distribution of food
ana acting in concert, could relieve only
1.-THE OF the people. and no such ar
rangement or agreement is probable At
pest TRANSPORTATION in the winter is
uIulcuI1 matter and every resource will
De taxed TO provide for the big army
which VIII be scattered from the Goa ST
at TalSu up to Pekin. The army must
be fed, and led it will be while the
natlves VIII starve. Every nation is
ruShinS IN supplies, there is not an
available boat but is pressed into SER
VICE and even now the lack of bottoms
is a serious one.
BY Dec. the Peo-Ho river win be
frozen, as well as the Gulf of Taku on
which ice forms for ten or twelve miles
out, and superhuman efforts are be-
ing made to take advantage of the re-
naming weeks of autumn. There has
already been some informal discussion
as to the means Of keeping cornmunica-
ton by water open after ice forms with
the result that there is a tentative IN
derstandfng that the Russian force will
bring in an ice boat. The heavy tides
prevent any great thickness of ice in
the guh, and it is believed that with a
suitable vessel a channel can be easily
kept clear to Tong-Ku. the railway
terminal. The river is a more serious
matter, and it is not likely that any at
tempt Will be made to keep it free In
this way the railway will be taxed to
its utmost capacity.
All the governments are employing
native labor freely, but the supply is
so far in excess of the demands that
the percentage of those who will thus
be enabled to live through the winter
Is extremely small. The belief is gen
eral that starvation cannot be avoided
at this late day, and even the most con-
sentative foreign residents at all con-
versant with conditions, admit that the
coming winter viii be q terrible one in
the Tien Tsin country.
Ruin on Every Hand.