The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1900-05-24

people who are satisfied with so little
the worst features of this famine, the
details of which are too horrible 10 de-
scribe or read, would be alleyiated.
To their abstemiousness, the Eng
fish are largely indebted for the loyal
ty of the native soldiers. Each man
knows that when his time of usefulness
has expired the government guaran-
tee of pension sufficient to purchase
yearly suit of white cotton, and rice
for his daily meals, is assurance of a
sufficient provision for his old age.
The religion of the country prohibits
the use of animal food AS available
funds of the relief committee are only
sufficient to reach about Is per cent.
of the sufferers it is feared that wan
dering groups may resolve themselves
into armies of bandits who, having
disposed of their homes through want,
will for years constitute a menace to
the safety of the more fortunate in
habitants of India. Crowds Of dis.
tressed human beings are daily stream
ing into the cities, and even in Bonn
ing food starve in the streets. Famine
prices prevail. Owing to financial de-
preston mills are closed down and
in many cases the wages of those still
employed have been reduced. What
sutiiced perhaps for mere existence in
prosperous times means now slow
starvation covering a period of weeks
or even months. Those dying in cities
are buried in bitches, if in the open
country they lie where they fall Near
some of the relief works men are con-
stantly engaged in burning bodies;
often large numbers of them together.
1t is fearful sight, but seems the only
way of protecting the living.
The suffering seems to be largely
among the agricultural classes, of
which so per cent of the population of
India is composed. Large sections of
the arabic lands depend entirely for
their productiveness upon irrigation,
the source of which is in rivers and
streams which are supplied by rains.
Every recorded Indian famine may be
traced to failure of rainfall A number
of years ago the Indian forester an
nounced his theory that the response
bility for droughts might be placed
upon the great herds of goats (some-
times $4,000 or 100000, always appar-
emily starving, which attack the shoots
OF every young tree in the course Of
their depredations. Thus when old
trees die off there are no young ones
to take their places. Rains, which de-
pend so largely upon the existence of
forests, fall short, then famine and
plague follow. The early rains come
in June, are known as the southwest
monsoons and originate in vapors
drawn from the Indian ocean and the
Arabic sea. Breaking on the Malabar
coast for three months, tAey may be
expected to flood India, the average
fall of water being about 100 inches.
Az such times crops are abundant.
But when these rains fail. as was tho
case last year, famine is the result.
The later" rains or northeast mon
soons arrive in November and Deem
Der from the Bay Of Bengal These also
failed last year. insufficient rainfall
may be expected at intervals of from
five to twenty-five years. Existing con-
ditions are the worst recorded. The
present drought, following so closely
that of 1897, has rendered the ground
so dry that there is scarcity Of wa
ter. even for drinking purposes, here
tofore unknown. EDWARD JULIAN.