Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-13
THEFAMWE.|N FINLAND
Effort to Send Money to the
Stricken People.
DIR. SORSENS MISSION
d S9s
so11c1rs AID III In PROCURING
FREE Transportation.
Graphic Description Of Conditions
Among the Starving People
$4,000, 900 Required.

DR.. c. ]. Sorsen, surgeon-in-chief of the
Northern Michigan General Hospital, and
chairman of the national Finland central
relief committee of the United States, ar
rived in Washington this morning for the
purpose of consulting with Senators Bur-
rows and Alger Of Michigan and Nelson OF
Minnesota on the general subject of afford
Ing aid to the famine-stricken residents OF
Finland, and particularly as to the possibill-
ty or letting ocean transportation for the
grain and flour which Is being contributed
by the farmers Of that nationality in this
country. The northwestern railroads have
agreed to transport these supplies over
their lines free of cost during the period
within the Goth and 2Sth of February.
DR.. Sorsen related the tale of the Finland
famine briefly to Star reporter this morn
ing. The famine district has population
of 100000 people, he said, and at the pres
ent time 100000 of these are entirely dest-
tute, and there are nine long months yet
to intervene before another crop can be
harvested. The cold Of last season is en-
tirely the cause of the distress. The spring
last year was very late in Finland, Norway
and Sweden. In the greater part of Fin
land sowing of rye, barley and oats could
not take place before late in June. On &C
count Of the long-continued, heavy, cold
rains Of last summer the crops were very
slow to rpen. AS most Of the hayfields
and meadows Of Finland are in low valleys,
dlOUS creeks ana rivers, OF on the shores
of the CULTS and inland lakes, on account of
the floods caused by the heavy rains hay
could not be made before the freezing of
the lakes and rivers, when the hay stood
above the ice.
Food All Destroyed.
But that hope was soon taken away, as
snow covered the ice two feet deep three
days after the freezing Of the rivers and
lakes took place. and thus the food Of the
cattle was destroyed Consequently, great
number of the small, hardy Finnish cows
had to be killed and the Finnish peasant
was deprived of his milk, very essential
article Of food to him. His bill of fare, in
good times, consists of bread, milk potatoes
and fish from the lakes, butter being ex-
changed for salt, coffee and sugar, with the
village trader. In very many Finnish VIII
lagos pure grain is entirely unknown this
year. Bread made from the frost-btten
grains of rye and barley Is black in color,
bitter in taste and sa fragile that 1t crum-
bles to pieces like clay unless mixed with
good flour. AS result of eating such
bread, thousands of people are already sick
with dysentery and typhoid fever in the
district of Kajana. Is
ciety shows that out of 500 parishes, 1914
are suffering from famine. Out of 14O
of these parish-s only 1O4 had food enough
to last until Christmas last year. Accord
ing to official reports about 100000 people
live in the famiue-strAcken district, and
their existence depends entirely upon the
charity of others.
Failures Of the Crops.
Last summer only eight to ten weeks
were free from, snow. The cold, heavy
rains poured down in torrents during most
Of the time, rotting the grains and vege-
tables to the ground Then the early frost
completed the destruction Of crops; peas.
beans and potatoes were not harvested at
all. - Z 30 D nnT Ta.ts'
A very vivid and realistic picture Of the
condition in the deep forests is presented by
the fact that thousands of young birds and
rabbits died last summer for lack Of food in
the forest. Flowers Of the wild berries
were nipped In the bud. The ptarmigan has
disappeared entirely. Wolves, and even the
northern fox, which so carefully avoids
human dwellings, have been forced to seek
food among farm houses because OF the i'm
poverished condition Of the forests.
At the lowest estimate the expenses of
keeping a person in Finland for one month
are So and it can be readily seen that none
Of the money will go to fancy groceries.
Until the next harvest time, or August,
that Is for nine long month, at this rate the
feeding of the 100000 famished people will
amount to the enormous sum Of more than
100000.
Work Of Relief.
Relief work is actively going on in New
York, Chicago, ST. Paul and northwestern
cities, and the farmers of the latter section,