The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1901-07-04
MILLIONS STARVING
Tn CHINA.
Three Years Drought the Cause.
CHILDREN SOLD FOR BliEAD.

In two mountain provinces OF China,
twenty million human beings; are
starving. AS the result of q three
years. drought, the people of Shensi
and Shansi are fa.oe to face with one of
the worst famines of modern tlm,aa.
It is an awful story which has recen tly
como to the outside world through the
mountain passes. Thousands of lnen
and women dying daily, mothers SELL
ing their Children for bread, fam1shed
men eating boiled leather, system OF
Gambia lism beginning, and a univer-
sal hunger. Such are the conditions
under wh ich Ii Hung Chang, the
"Bismarck of Asia," has appealed to
Americans.
Nothing could prove more clearly
the crushed, hear. -brokt n condition of
China to-day than Ii Hung Chang's
cablegram. In the thot ,san1s of years
of her long dynas.ies, wa rs and pesti-
lences have laid China waste before,
but never has she consit 'ered herself
helpless enough to ask ASST. 'tance from
beyond the great wall or the. great sea.
But against every precedent and tradi-
tion of his country, Ii Hung Chang
cabled: avery serious famine spreads
over the who le province of Shansi. Owe r
eleyen million population affecte d.
Urgent relief necessary. Condltie ms
warrant Immediate appeal"
For their W ater supply the two pro-
vinces depend upon irrlgating dit ches
and wells, which have long since dried
up. AS a result the hunger cloud
hangs low and is continually gro wing
deeper. A letter recently received
from man in Shanghai thus dc sc:ibes
conditions there:
cit is graat famine. We have
never heard of anything so terrible.
The Empress D.owager and F .mperor
we're good enough to give 100000
taels to the relief society, and fu,m the
Viceroy down to the workman every
one is contributing, but we na ID far
more than we can get. The po Or have
no rice; they killed everyH ing in
sight-cooked even leather ,oxes or
bags, and stewed tree bark az ID grass.
Some of them were so famr shed that
they were even eating earth.
On the first day saw number of
poor people trying to sell their child
rem for rice. On the seco ID saw the
same party lying starving: on the road,
and on the third day about half of
them were dead, and IT, ,eir miserable
bodies were lying at the mercy of hun
cry dogs and wolves.
How sad this Is! Nearly every city,
town or village we passed through was
deserted, or the houses were occupied
b = the dead. A friend told me of a
family of nine. The moth'sr could not
bear to hear the cry OF the famished
children, SO she hung be,reelf. The
father became insane and killed all
seven children, and finally committed
suicide. They were OF good family,
and would not beg FOR food nor sell
their children"
"The suffering of the fanine-stricken
people in Sl,ansi Is indescribable,"
said Minister E. HI. Conger, in letter
from his home in Des Moinas.
Just before leaving China lnforma-
ton came to Mr.. Conger that the in
habitants of the two provinces had
eaten every blade of grass, every bit OF
bark, ard that they are now actually
eating each other.
A quantity pathetic appeal has been
issued by the Governor of Shansf. A
translation made by WI Ting Fang,
Chinese Minister in Washington, is as
follows:
"To Our Ows People and Foreigners:
This time the famine is more serious
than ever. China Is very poor now,
and the people are in such a straitened
position that no very big assistance can
be expected from them. Since more
than several months now, the famine
has been raging in places in this pro-
vince. In SOME villages they are eat
Ing human flesh.
"All our brothers In the world should
be sorry for us, and should know how
unfortunate we are. We wish all our
people to share some of your money
which you spend amusing yourselves,
ard ior travelling, and for dressing, and
for all kinds of comforts, to rescue
these poor people. 1t is much better
to save the starving and dying men,
women and children here, than to |
build pagoda or temple, or even a
church-because from ten to twelve |
million people are suffering to death.
"Signed by the Governor OF Shansl,
and the Relief Society OF Shansl,