The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1903-02-10
HALF A MILLION
ARE STARVING
Firms DIE OF HUNGER AND M
MEDIATE HELP Is NEEDED
GRAPHIC PICTURE OF FAMINE.

A recent cable message to the Star
called attention to the condition Of Fin
land ana tnat the Inhabitants would
appeal to the United States for aid.
The following was recently published
in Chicago by the Scandinavian, the
Norwegian newspaper. The picture
drawn is graphic and shows that the
famine extends not only over large por-
tons of Sweden, but over Finland as
we'll.
The statement, under the title Save
the Perishing People of Finland" and
letter on which the editorial is based
are as follows:
Last year the crops of Finland were
total failure and starvat ton has now
begun its full harvest among the strick-
en- people.
"phe famine in Finlands Is the most
severe in a century. A late spring fol-
lowed by unprecedented rains and ear
~ frOsts, destroyed the crops almost
completely. Grains, hay, peas, beans,
potatoes and other vegetables rotted in
| the ground. The people of many of
the Northern provinces were left entire
ly destitute to face the approaching
winter Bread of unripe grain, husks,
straw and bark was their only means
of sustaining life. No pen can describe
their suffering. In the great Finnish
famine of 1867 100000 people died from
starvation. According to reports from
reliable sources 100000 people, or one
sixth Of the population of Finland. will
die from hunger this winter unless
prompt aid is extended to them.
" Russia has her own starving mil
lions 10 take care of and can do little
for Finland. But we are assured that
the Finnish department of the imperial
government accepts gratefully Ameri
cas- aid The appeal to America Will
q n fINlRrA IL n IN
day more worthy of the sympathy and
succOr of the Christian world than the
destitute people of Finland. Their vir-
tues, fOrtitude and herOsm CLEAN
through the sad gloom of Finnish his
tory as one of the precious heirlOOms
of all mankind. But never before have
the brave people faced a crisis like the
present The letter from a Finnish min
lister printed recently reveals the
sad fate of the most unhappy of all
its horrors Bereft of the staff of life
and denied the right of free speech
they are doomed to suffer and die in
silence.
but their stihed cry of distress has
reached the American people and
touched the American heart. Let the
work of Finnish relief be properly and
promptly organized, and money and
food vii pour forth from our cities,
workshops and farms. Let the bank
ers, business men and railroad men of
Chicago take the matter in hand, and
the people of the west and northwest
will respond with generous contribu-
tons Let the railroads furnish cars
and the farmers will load them with
grain from their bounteous crops; the
mills of Minneapolis, Duluth and Su-
perior will supply flour; and the large
packing. houses of Chicago, Omaha and
Kansas City will contribute provisions
in abundance.
Let the precious gifts be buried tC
the seaboard and across the sea TO re-
lieve the perishing people. America ma
come TO the help of starving people il
India and Russia with cargoes of food
Let her do the same FOR the stricken
people of Finland. And let action be
taken at once for the long-suiferlnS
heroic Finlanders are perishlng; tht
very heart of the Finnish nation is dy-
ing from hunger and cold in the grasI
of a fierce winter