The evening times., 1900-04-11
ENVELOPED BY FAMINE.
India's Distresses Greater Now Than
Ever Before.


Ever Before.
A report to the State Department from
Consul William T. Fee, at Bombay, dated
January 20. alludes to the distressing con-
ditioDs prevailing in India, whose people
we're then, the Consul writes, face to face
with an unprecedented famine of water,
food, and cattle The number of people in
receipt of relief, Consul Fee writes, has al
ready swollen to abnormal proportions,
considering that the season of acute dis
tress has hardly commenced. The returns
far exceed those recorded during the initial
stage of the famine three years ago. At
this period of the famine of 1861. only
100000 persons were receiving govern
ment relief in all India; today. the official
estimate places the number of $500 600
and the daily expenditure at about $84 COO
''The southwest monsoons upon which
the animal and vegetable life of India sub
stantially depend), laden with the moist
ure of the Indian Ocean and the Arabian
Sea, break in June upon the Malabar coast
and for three months flood India with a
rainfall averaging about 100 inches. The
rains of the last monsoon proved from
half to total failure, and famine was
then threatened to a large portion Of the
country. 1t was still hoped that The au-
tumnal crops OF southern India might be
saved by good northeast monsoon in No
vember. and in central and upper India
by early abundant winter rains. The nor
NAL time for winter rains has now passed
by. On the east coast the usual rains in
November and December, which are term
ed the northeast mOnsoOns. but in reality
attend the withdrawal Of the monsoon cur
rent from the Bay of Bengal failed TO
very large extent. Elsewhere throughout
India, abnormally high day temperatures
were unaccompaued by the usual dews at
night, while the cold weather has been ex-
traordinarily raiuless, in so much that
only during the last few days have there
been any signs of the winter showers.
These conditions have still further injured
the autumn crops and diminished the pros
poets of a spring harvest. thereby greatly
enlarging the affected area and intensity
ing The distress.
The rice crop of Burma and Bengal has
fully realized expectations and constitutes
a great reserve food for the rest Of India.
The Northwestern Provinces and Oudh
have successfully sown their winter crops,
which have been greatly benefited by rain
in the past week. In Madras and Mys0re,
the abrupt disappearance Of the monsoon
was a great disappointment. The harvest
will be indifferent over large areas but.
except in a few places, no distress re-
quiring relief is anticipated here. In the
irrigated or inundated tracts of Sind and
the southwest Punjab. the crops will be
somewhat short, owing TO the contracted
area of nundation by the Indus and its
tributaries, due to diminished volume Of
H. Il. ~Frns.Er
will be>comparatiyely small. These tracts
Will as in former years. yield food in
excess Of local requirements and will pro-
fit from the misfortunes OF their neigh
bors.
The famine district embraces the
greater part Of Bombay Presidency, most Of
the Nyzam's domiEions of HyGerabad. the
western half OF the Central Provinces the
western states OF Central India. the entire
part Of Raiputana the southeast OF Pun
jab ard a large portion OF the native
states Of Clutch and Gujarat The true
famine area in British India and the native
states will thus be about 100000 square
miles with a population of 30 600 coo. There
is further area Of about $4,000 square
miles with a population OF u 0000G0. in
which more or less scarcity and distress
prevail. where relief is already being Civ
have 10 be given before the advent of the
next monsoon. Thus. the area and popula-
tion affected by the drought is larger both
in British territory and the native states
than was anticipated in October last. As
a whole the autumn harvest OF 1899 was
the worst on record for many years, while
the present spring harvest OF un!rTigated /
Land occupies little more than half the area |
sowu in either OF the last two years
The liberality of the local and general I
government of India i most marked, |
but there is limit even to state charity. !
Nothing seems TO stem the flow of the !
people 10 the relief works. and the num- |
Der in receipt of state aid advanced an |
,her 1900 during the week bringing the !
total up to the appalling figure of 2.100.-
1OU. The most trying period Of the famine /
Is still two months ahead. and even now .
il is questionable whether the financial re-
sources OF the government and the power I
to provide useful employment for such Vast /
will be equal 10 the strain if /
present standards are to be maintained. I
Agricultural prospects are growing .
gloomy. and the water famine increases m /.
intensity. Lord CurzOn. the NiCeTGy Of .
India in an address to the imperial leg
islative council on the 18th inst. called /
attention to another feature of the present /
distress. During the famine years Of S96- (
l7. the whole external world seemed to ,
share Indias sorrow and contributed 20 al !
eviate its distress. The attention Of En- !
gland was then turned upon suffering In /
liza and hundreds of thousands OF pounds /
we're contributed by generous hearts. (
Now. the thoughts OF almost every En-
ylishman throughout the Empire are fixed .
upon the war in South Africa. II would .
be tco much 10 expect that England can
lgain come to the rescue as speedily as .
she did in 1897. and it seems clear that :
india must fight the plague and famine ,
gith her own means.