The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-24
The Famine in India.

In the genera! excitement over the Chi
nese difficulties and the Republican Con-
vention, the India famine has been prac-
tically forgotten by the American public;
but it has not ceased to exist, and strenu-
Gus efforts are now being made TO secure
a large fund, to be placed at the disposal
Of American missionaries for use in famine
relief work.
Whatever may be thought of mission
work in general, there is no question about
the desirability of feeding starving men,
women, and children in any part of the
world, nor is there reason to doubt that
American and English missionaries in In
dia, well as large percentage of the
English civilians, are striving with all
their powers of body and mind to relieve
the distress which is all about them. Their
resources are at present inadequate. They
should be given sufficient funds to prose-
cute the work.
The English Government and the Eng
dish missionary societies are doing all that
they can do, SO far as can be discovered,
but II is natural that they should choose
their own compatriots as distributors.
American missionaries, able and willing to
engage in this work, must be supplied
with funds from America. II this country
can raise hundreds OF thousands OF dollars
for foreign missions, II can raise money
10 save the lives of starving people. OBJ
viously, the body must come before the
soul. II people die of starvation they can
not be taught Christianity or anything
else, whereas il a man who is famished
receives aid from the teacher of foreign
religion, he is apt, whether he is con-
verted or not, TO have friendly and toll
Grant feeling for that religion. That is
good thing even from a non-religious
point OF view. 1t prevents difficulties be
tween Americans and the people among
whom American missionaries have worked,
and il helps to establish common ground
Between them. Charity, wisely distributed
never did anyone harm yet, and while
there may be doubt as to the wisdom of
O continual giving which tends TO estab-
lish a pauper class, there can be none
about the feeding of people who are actu-
ally destitute and al the point OF starva-
ton. That is nothing but common hu-
mainly.
The rule of England In India has, in the
main, been benefcent- 1t has conduced to
the material prosperity Of the country, and
81 may be that il il is continued for a few
more generations famines will become I'M
known. Some statisticians contend that
the recurrence of these terrible periods OF
scarcity at present are partly due to Eng
lish sanitary regulations which have pre-
vented the depopulation of the country by
plague and other diseases, and have re-
suited In a congestion of population in GER
tain districts. But it can hardly be said
that the plague is, on the whole, less objec
tionable than famine. and with the forestry
laws and other measures intended to ward
of drought, and the continual efforts which
the government is making to prevent
waste and improve the resources of the
country, this scourge may pass away in
time.
Aside from any effect upon the recip
tents, it is not at all bad for the American
people TO acquire the habit of giving gener-
ously. American missions cannot be said
10 have accomplished anything like the
work which 1t was supposed by their OPP
timistic founders they would do, but the
people Of this country are Predetermined, |
more unseifish. and more liberal for hay-
.ug early felt the impulse of missionary |
enthusiasm. Many individual missionaries