New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-09-10
PESTILENCE IND FAMINE.
Cholera Noe Spreading in Europe
the Result of Starvation IN Russia.

on the eve of a terrible famine are altogether
misleading. For they convey the impression
that the famine is still to come, whereas 1t has
been raging throughout European Russia for
nearly year past with a degree of intensity
of which people abroad have had but little idea,
the news from the domnons of the Car having
been to such an extent monopolized by the war,
by the revolutionary movements and by the
various phases Of the agitation in favor of a rep
resentative form of government that the trifilng
fact that millions of peasants were starving
escaped In measure popular attention. Where,
however, the cable dispatches announcing the
inlminence of famine possess element of
truth is in the fact that the famine, which has
prevailed since the early part of the year is
now about to become more intense and extern
sive and it is predicted by experts in Russia,
ard especially in Germany, where the economic
conditions of the neighboring empire are more
closely watched than anywhere else in the world,
that the condition Of affairs throughout the win
ter and next year in the land of the Czar-that Is
to say in the European portion thereof-will be
much more terrible than during the great Rus
sian famine of 1891 which excited the sympathy
Of the entire civilized world, subscriptions for
the relief of the starving moujiks pouring in from
an quarters Of the globe. the most generous
contributions coming from the United States.
Any doubts to the prevalence of famine
s1nce last winter in Russia will be Set at rest
by the alarming outbreak there Of cholera which
invariably follows In its wake, and which, just
the occasion of the great famine of 1891.
Is spreading beyond the Muscovite borders into
Germany, Austria and from there On to other
Western countries. Without entering into
scientific discussion of the origin and immediate
causes of cholera, history, well my own
personal experience Of the Orient and that of
MI ~S how
self has demonstrated that every great
famine Of man Is attended by an almost stimuli
taneous famine of beast, which are invariably
followed, first, by an epidemic of bovine typhus
and. second. by All epidemic of Asiatc cholera
Food in sufficiency Is perhaps the most eff1ca-
cious protection against cholera, and 1 always
remember the late Nubar Pacha, Premier and
regent OF Egypt, and the most enlightened ORR
entail statesman Of his day describing how
"nle al the head Of the Khedvial railroad de-
partment, he had rendered the thousands of
men serving under his orders virtually immune
during one Of the worst visitations of the nesti
lenee In the Land of the Nile by sacrificing all
his available resources, official as well as nri
vate In keeping his people well fed on 2 meat
oieI using for the purpose focks upon f1ocks Of
sheep The employees Of Nubar Pacba,s rail
road department in Egypt numbered merely
several thousands whereas in Russi. e. 4,
question OF feeding some forty millions or moro
OF mou1iKs now suffering from starvation. in
order not merely to save them from death bv
want but also to preserve them from becon,ing
a prey to cholera
Unlike other famines such as those which
periodically occur in India and In China, and
Which are usually due to natural causes beyond
The reach Of human control, the present famine
In Russia, like most Of those that have previous
y sourged the Muscovtte Empire, is attributa-
bic IN large measure to administrative origin
On course the weather has been most unfayor-
able to crops and feeble attempt is also being
made at St Petersburg to saddle the blame for
Their failure a miserable worm But
mo principal cause Of the failure of crops In
almost every latitude and longitude of European
Rusda Is due neither to worms nor to frosts
nor to a lack Of rain, but to the fact that the
neids have neither been titled nor sown by the
peaantry. The latter. although drunken, brut-
iah and Incredibly improvident are not account
Able for their neglect in the matter In immense
districts all the men available for AGRICULTURAL
labor have been taken. often at the point of the
Cossack's lance and under the lash of his whip
TO join the reserves and for military service in
the Far Orient Nor has the war with japan
constituted the only drain of this character
upon the agricultural population of European
Russia. The alarming insurrectionary move
provinces. as well as in Poland, have necessi-