Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-04-26
FAMINE IN JAPAN.
Only Recently Extent of Distress
 Made Known.

All the world wondered at the atti-
 tude taken by proud Japan in the
 Portsmouth convention last year, and
 only of late has been revealed one very
 probable reason for the surrender.
 Japan did not herald the fact that 8
 portion of her land was famine strick- en. kept knowledge of this weakness from her enemy. Only comparatively recently has the extent of the distress
 been revealed.
 When mans starving he Is apt to put his pride in his pocket and beg with boldness: but the Jap is not the sort that easily can give up pride, ac- knowledge defeat. Our illustration suggests the sad state to which a man of high class has fallen; to keep alive the spark of life he must ask aims, but in asking he hides his face for shame, makes appeal with head cov- cred.
 It is the three northern provinces of Japan that are famine stricken. AL most million people on the verge of starvation. The rice crop of 1905 was the worst in years, not since 1840 have the peasants experienced such a scarcity of food. Failure of the crop coming on top of war debt and eco homie loss through the withdrawal of labor from agricultural work. has worked havoc in the mikado's realm. The island empire is over-populated, has population of 47,000,000. The people realize the need for intelligent and the congestion is being relieved by emigration to Formosa, Korea, Manchuria. To change the pre- carious situation of such a large popu. lation depending almost solely on . few agricultural crops, which may fail, the present is marked by devel- opment of manufactures and the en. larging of outside commerce. Future needs are studied, provision making for meeting them.
 But 1t is with the problem of the we must conf1ne ourselves in this briefest of sketches. The three rice provinces of Miyagi, Fukushima and lwate last June were devastated by overwhelming floods, and the pre- ious crop almost wholly ruined. The independent peasants of those dis tricts have been forced to live on roots and leaves of trees mixed with small quantities of rice or flour. In the northernest province, Miyagi. the worst sufferer. only one-eighth of crop harvested, the people have been subsisting, whole villages of them, on 3 sort of bitter bread made of ground up acorns. Even in the province where the floods worked least havoc, the inhabitants are in ab- iect need. the American consul gener- al at Yokohama reports they require speedy and prolonged aid.
 The imperial government has adopt. sd policy similar to that followed by England in famine times in India. has given the people work. Swampy lands Ire being drained to provide for future rice fields. bridges built. river banks roads improved. old rice iracts made over. England and Amer lea are sending aid. the emperor and -ich citizens have contributed seyer- Il hundred thousand yen; but with an estimated crop loss of s14,000, it can ,asily be seen relief measures imme- Hate and continued will be necessary. Not all can be saved.
 To add to the misery. the past win CT has been unusually severe for Japan is not all made up of soft 'ephyrs and cherry blooms. The spe- .ial representative of the "Independ- mt" in Japan has sent to his magazine Photographs and text of the harroving coalitions in the blighted provinces; Fe are shown a six by six hut in l which a father and four children live. md told that wind and snow go freely l through the miserable shelter. Gashi and Toshi. starvedtodeath and | rozen-todeafh. are common et-ry- where The Japanese are c spirited. people. but the famine Ias thrown tens of thousands out of i and has broughs ruin Q their homes Thousands of men ave fed from the famine region. IeaE- ng vile and children. and In these nee fairly happy homes there s nov 'o food. no eIothine. 10 kind of fur
 fture that can be sold There are uuititudes that have eaten rothirz for 70 CT rr-ee fare srS a-r S-srs- <o