The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-02-20
Famine Relief Committee Is
sues Urgent Appeal for
Further Assistance, De.
scribing the Dire Condi-
tons Prevailing in the
Stricken Region House to
House Canvas to Be Started.

aQQeO 10 very Slowly. 10 GATE the
committee has secured only $1,395.
The executive committee having
charge of the collection of funds in st.
Paul and Ramsey county yesterday is
sued the following appeal to the public
for contributions:
'"The whole civilized world is looking to
and expecting much of the most powerful,
progressive, successful and prosperous ma
ton on the earth in the matter of imme-
date relief for the amine-stricken people
Of Finland and Northern Sweden and
Norway.
THE people of this country naturally
expect each state to give Of It's bounty
according to its condition Of prosperity.
west, the most prosperous section of the
country, places upon it the responsibility
of being the most liberal and foremost
in the active work for speedy relief Ram
sey county and the City of ST. Paul, as
the center of the prosperity of the state,
should be the leaders in the work of
sharing the fruits of that prosperity with
our less fortunate fellow mortals in fam
inc stricken distant lands. Capitalists and
business men should be especially inter
ested In relieving the distress of the
stricken people of countries from which
have come so many of those sturdy, non
est and faithful laborers and servants
who have aided SO much in increasing
their prosperity and swelling their riches.
LaborIng Men Should Respond.
'The laboring men of our city who
sufficient for the sustenance of them
selves and families, will certainly not re-
fratn from giving what they can to save
from StarVa ton a labOring people who are
without crops or other property from
which they can realize means for their
subsistence and for whom there is no en-
ployment whatever. In Finland 400, 900
people are fighting a most unequal battle
with death by famine
THE district affected covers an area
about equal to that of the state of Min
oGf hot tnfC In NIL
way and Sweden are in condition al
most as deplorable.
Almost one-sixth of the population Of
Finland are obliged to subSist on the
most scanty supplies Of food Of such quail
ity that 1t furnishes little or no nourish-
ment and only serves to partially allay
the pangs of hunger.
The present condition of the people in
these several countries is due to an al
most total failure of the crops of the past
season, and not to any lack of effort or
want OF enterprise on their part. They
are frugal, hard working people of lin
tied means under the most favorable cir
cumstances They live in a rigorous. eli
mate where the weather has been I'M
usually severe during the present season,
much of the time the temporal l1re being
as low as 40 degrees below zero In such
q climate only the most hardy grains and
farm products can be grown. In the In
terror, and particularly in the mountain
districts, the people are dependent for
their sustenance upon the milk Of domes-
tic animals. rs
"The failure of all crops. including fod-
der, has not only cut off this supply of
sustaining fluid, but has made it necessary
to slaughter the cattle to prevent their
starvation.
1.-The class of cattle thus DESTROYED can
not be supplied from the lower districts of
stock peculiarly adapted to those high
attitudes and are not to be found in the
other districts of the country. Cattle of
different quality could not be maintained
RI 10
OF milk.
Transportation to and through the af-
hicted districts is extremely difficult,
by reindeer. The people live in small com
munities, widely separated from each
other, and have to travel long distances
obtain supplies. Those who have means
with which to purchase fodder for their
cattle or food for themselves have to go
hundreds of miles to get anything that
the only grain they can raise under the
most favorable circumstances and owing
to the character Of the country they can
grow this only in the most limited guam
titles.
Six Million Dollars Needed.
cit is estimated by those familiar with
the conditions existing in the afflicted
districts that about Sc, 900, 900 will be nee
essary to provide relief from the present
distress and keep the people from starry
ing during the time they win be required
TO wait until the crops of the next sea-
sor are harvested. In this estimate are
included the amounts necessary to pro-
cure seed grain to enable them to put in
their crops. The generous people of the
more fortunate districts of the afflicted
countries have. done and are doing what
they can to relieve the distress, but their
means are limited owing to the produc-
tive capacity of the country being di-
minished by the enforced military serv-
Ice of the most active and helpful portion
of their population.
1T is not the purpose of this appeal to
present an oVerdrawn picture of suffer-
ing humanity.
The foregoing are only a few of the
more authentic facts ascertained from
the most reputable sources, notably re-
ports of Associated Press and Red Cross
agents who have travelled through the
amlcted districts and made careful in
Vestigation.
Confirmation of these reports has
come through letters received by many
of our representative citizens from rela-
tives and friends in the several coun-
tries so severely afflicted and who are
conservant with the pressing needs of the
starving thousands and the measures be-
ing taken and required for the greatest
measure of relief.
Those who are. charged with the dis
trfbution of contributed funds received at
central points in Finland and in Northern
Sweden and Norway, are doing their work
under the direction of systematic Or
ganization of men familiar with the needs
to be supplied and the best means of
supplying them. They can be depended
on to do only that which will make the
afflicted people helpful to themselves after
they have once placed them in a condf-
ton when they shall be free from i'm
pending starvation. Owing to the widely
separated location of the several COM
munities affected and the difficulty Of
transportation from the central points
of distribution, it is imperative that the
response to this appeal should be imme-
date, If 1t is intended to be effective to
save from starvation, or from the terri
BILE epidemtcs of disease that follow from
the unsatlsfed pangs of hunger.
Results Are Encouraging.
The results of the work so far under
taken in this community are quite en-
couraging. Organization of the work for
soliciting subscriptions has not been fully
perfected, and yet about $1,000 has been
turned over to the treasurer of the COM
mittee. This is in addition to the amount
previously collected by the Swedish
Brotherhood. But more active and per
sistent work must be undertaken The
solicitors selected by the committee are
endeavoring to make house to house
canvass throughout the city and county,
but many of those called upon NAV not
be at their places of business or homes
when solicitor calls, and it NAV be
necessary, for him to make several calls
at the same place. This involves DELAYS,
and makes it necessary to appeal to the
public to make use Of every possible
means of getting their contributions into
the treasury of this committee.
Anyone desiring to contribute can send
their contributions to A. L. Alness. pres