The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-03-06
JAPAN'S PEOPLE
CRY FOR BREAD.
Terrible Famine Exists III North
crn Section Of Mikado's
Kingdom.
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THE PRESIDENT APPEALS
Mr.. Roosevelt Urges American.
People to Help a Distressed
Nation.
THE PRESIDENT APPEALS

a terrible famine exists In northern
Japan. President RooseSelt has issued
a strong letter of appeal for help. The
greatest haste is necessary, or tens OF
thousands will die, as the appended OFF,
cial call shows. Several years ago. when
the famine was on In india, / made
statement OF the facts through the pa
pers and offered to transmit any funds
sent me- to those who would wire such
donations to reliable parties out In India.
Some seventeen hundred dollars (st.7oo.oo)
came In that would not have gone but
for this arrangement. now offer to
send to those who are doing this work for
Japan any money sent me. am too
busy to acknowledge donations through
the mali, but will publish them In tho
newspapers, as well as the receipts from
the officers In New York who ask that
such work shall be done by any who
feel sufficient interest in their starving
brothers. Messrs. Frank l.. kerns, Adj
cocate office, and w. Reginald Walker.
state Young Mems Christian Association
Office ARE associated with me as a COM
mittee. GEORGE II. WILEY.
Impending Death Roll
Following is an interesting account of
the situation in Japan at the present time:
A terrible famine IL sweeping over the
northeastern provinces of Japan. leaving
heartrending suffering in Its track. IN
less rescue speedily reaches the stricken
victims conservative estimates fix the
impending roll-caIl of death at n figure
exceeding the entire loss on Manchurian
battlefields, counting the wounded and
missing as dead.
AS much land was titled as In former
years The same care was lavished upon
1t, but when harvest time came. the rice
crops uhe staple food OF the people,
were n total failure, as a result OF too
little sunshine and too much rain.
Last week" says one report. Mr..
Lampe and 1 devoted two days to Kuri-
hara county. in Miyagi Province, on the
invitation of Mr. Tatsumo, the head official
of the county, who said his section was
the worst of sixteen in the province. AT
the Office, he showed us. the statistics
that had been carefully collected. tne
eist of which Is as follows: There are
a2,756 people, of which l.5il are on the
edge of starvation. The county's aver
age crop of rice is $4,000 koku. of which
they were able to export 5000 koku. but
this years crop Is ony 1900 koku, or
less than ten per cent of normal crop.
OF course the result is widespread suf-
fering, which bears most severely on the
poor farmers and village people.
Children Thin and Pale.
The children were pale and thin even
in November. and the school attendance
decreasing every day. In the aincted
district. seven or eight out OF ten chill
dren do not bring any lunch to school.
and when they do. 1t consists OF
cakes made up of ten per cent. of for
eign rice, twenty per cent. barley, and
the rest of roots. Everywhere schools are
closing because the children have no food.
An old man was met on the road with
load of brush on his back, and the
following conversation ensued:
..Old man, how old are your
II am sixty-nine years old.
Where did you get that brush?"
II walked twelve miles to gather It,
and am now going to sell It,"
What will you get for lt?"
Il will get three go of rice about one
pinp. e
How many have you in your farnily?"
My wife, sixty-seven years old. WAC
is SICK and two grandchildren. ages eight
and five. Soon there be three or four feet
of snow, and thsn cannot gather brush,
so there will be nothing left us but to
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