The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-02-14
WIVES AND CHILDREN ARE SOLD
lJR FOOD.
Cannibalism Practiced Among the
by Suffering Kill their Offspring.

NEW YORK, February "a cable to
the Sun from Peking says Reports
from Singan-Fu all agree that the IA
mine in the provinces of Shan-Si and
Shen-Si is one of the worst in the his
tory of China. All information on the
subject is necessarily from Chinese
sources and is fragmentary, but stories
picture condition Of affairs calculated
TO arouse the sympathy of the world for
the stricken people.
1t is estimated that two-thirds of
the people are without sufficient food or
means OF obtaining 1t. The weather is
bitterly cold, and this adds to the mis-
cry of starvation. There is little fuel in
either province and people are tearing
out the woodwork of their houses to OBJ
tain fuel to keep themselves warm.
oxen, horses, dogs and other animals
used by farmers to aid them in work
in ordinary times have practically all
been sacrificed to satisfy hunger.
For three years crops have been fall
ures in both provinces. There was more
or less famine in previous seasons and
the people were in poverty when the
winter began. Their condition has since
been growing steadily worse. Letters
state that cannibalism is practiced now
to a considerable extent. Lii Hung
Chang, in conversation with Mr.. Con-
ger, the American Minister stated that
. the people We're in poverty when the
man flesh. Many of them were selling
their women and children to obtain
money with which to buy food for the
remaining members of their families.
Infanticide is alarmingly common Par
ents, driven insane by want and the
cries of their children for food which
they are unable to provide, kill the little
ones rather than listen to their cries of
distress and see their sufferings.
One letter received here says: I'm
towns men have become like ravenous
kites. They snap from your hand what
ever you may be eating. Women and
children are being sold or given away.
Infanticide is increasing on a terrible
scale. The ordinary food of wolves will
be living babies, which, as in the last
famine, will turn them into fierce man.
eaters"
The same writer says that the pagans
at the present moment are developing
their worst traits. 1t is a common thing
to hear such. appeals as Buy my land
or / will kill myself" "Give me a morse
of bread or 1 will destroy myself at
your door" "Appease my hunger,
says a feminine voice, land / will fol
low you" A mother says, Take my
child for paltry aims" or a husband
will say my wife is yours forever fol
few strings of copper"
These statements are corroborated by
other writer's Men and women hunt
for food in savage bands. Nothing tha
might appease their appetites escapes
them. Fierce fights among themselve.
frequently follow when they overtake
prey.
While the famine is said to be wors
in Shan-Si, it is almost as bad in Shen
81, which is particularly interesting
now because it is in that province tina
the court has taken refuge. The cour
is literally surrounded by these horrors
At a conservative estimate $4,000 eXtr;
mouths have to be filled. There are 20,
600 soldiers alone in the neighborhooC
of Singan-Fu and 5000 is small esti
mate of the number of official retainer
who are with the court OF course, grea
quantities of provisions have been sen
from other provinces for the use of tn
court, but these have been insufficien
for $4,000 persons, all of whom get full
rations at the expense of the starving
poor The government has been doin
what it could to relieve the sufferings
but it's efforts have been marked b.
very little success, because food in suf
ficient quantities for distribution can
not be obtained. The population o
Shan-Si is 12,0O0,00O and of ShenS
5000, 900.