Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-20
ON THE HEELS OF WAR
Famine Prevails in Three
Provinces of Japan.
FAILURE OF RICE CK0f
Inhabitants Declared to Be Dying of
Starvation.
LEGATION OFFICIAL CONFIRMS
Says Extent Of Destitution Has Not
Been overstated-No Appeal
to Other Nations.
EGATION OFFICIAL CONFIRMS

Mr.. Ekd Hoiki, first secretary Of the
Japanese legation, has given official sane
ton to a report that comes to this country
from American missionaries In Japan that
the fowery kingdom is confronted with
disaster that threatens to be as great in
the number OF lives lost as was the bloody
war with Russia just closed. The war was
a calamity Into which the little empire
went Of her own free will, with her eyes wide
open; but the new danger is being forced
upon her and 1t will take all her powers
and perhaps enormous foreign contributions
to ward 1t off. Coming as 1t does on the
heels Of the wars ravages 1t is many times
more serious.
The impending catastrophe is described In
one sentence: The rice crop of the provinces
Of Miyag, Fukushima and Iwate. in the
northern part of the empire, has failed al
most completely! Indeed, already the In
habitants of these three provinces are starv-
ing to death, and unless something is done
to relieve their terrible condition the lives
Of 1882. 557 persons are threatened. 1t will
be the worst famine since the deadly one
OF the Tempo age. some sixty years ago.
when thousands of the populace died. So
great is the calamity in Miyagi especially
that one of the papers published in the
islands in the English language says: The
sentence of death has been passed on the
people of this province" A committee of
foreign residents of Sendai, who send this
report, say that If this statement Is quail
led so as to read one-third of the people 1t
Is literally true. For in population of
500. 279 at least $4,000 are In extreme dis
tress, with no possibility of lives being
saved without outside aid.
Asked for Official Advices.
IT have read in American newspapers
from time to time little cablegrams from my
country which stated that a great famine
is about to be experienced there" said Mr..
Hioki at the legation, 1910 N street north
west land In order to make certain that
these reports were true and to have an
official communication upon which to base
any remarks might make on the subject,
cabled the foreign office for particulars.
u have learned officially that the condi-
tions are very lettle, If at all, overstated by
the foreign residents and missionaries. The
emperor feels that great aid can be given
by the home government to the people of
the distressed provinces and no appeal is
being made for contributions from outside
sources. And yet may say that If charita-
bic persons or organizations in this or any
other nation are inclined to send money for
the cause it will doubtless be gladly accept
ed. 1t will take an enormous amount of
money to feed the starving people,
Mr., Hiokf could not be induced to paint
the darkest side of the situation or to tell
Of the dire need of money by the Japanese
government, whose treasury it is under
stood has been sadly depleted by the pay
ment of the war expenses. 1t is this partic-
ular phase of the story that the missionaries
and other foreigners bring out in their let
tiers, many Of which have been received in
Washington.
'They are starving, but they will not call
for aid" is the gist of the reports.
Would Be Gratefully Received.
And the foreigners are determined to ac-
quaint the outer world with the need. Mr..
ready on foot In this country to lend hand
smiled and seemed pleased, but he said no
more than that any gifts would be received
with thanks.
What has caused this awful condition of
affairs7" he was asked by person who had
entered int othe conversation with him on
the subject.
"Of course" he replied, "the absence of
the men during the war has had much to do
with It, but there is a natural reason be-
sides. The provinces In question recently
experienced dry season, drier than the
country has known for more than half a
century. This together with the absence
Of the men from the rice fields, has given
the people miserable crop. OF course, you
know that rice is practically the only food
Of the people there"
The official statements of the situation as
they come from Japan from the foreigners
there reveal only in part the intense suffer-
ing that hundreds of thousands must endure
not only through the winter, but even more
so through the entire spring and until new
crops are harvested. The main facts only
need be stated to show the necessity of
speedy aid. Miyagi province is by far In the
worst condition. Twelve million yen worth
Of rice is the average crop, but the yield this
year is less than u per cent, and 9. loss in
rice alone of over 10000 600 yen. This is the
sentence of death that hangs over quar-
ter of million of people in this province.
Population and Crops.
Fukushima province has population of
1,174,024. The average rice crop is worth
Is, 553, 800 yen. This years crop is less than
one-quarter and is worth only 1913, 1872 yen,
loss in rice alone of about 100000 yen.
But this loss falls mainly on the eastern
section of the province, where the crop is
only 15 per cent of the average. The extent
of the calamity be imagined when the
carefully collected statistics show that some
800, 600 people are already on the edge of
absolute poverty
Iwate is the most fortunate of these three
provinces, the yield being one-third of the
average. But here, too, the southern sec
ton Is in wretched condition, since the
crop is only one-fifth Of the usual yield.
Iwate's average crop Is worth 6,S57, 700 yen
but this year it is valued at only 2,314, 90
a loss of 4,543,75 yen among population
of 1926 1t is said to be certain that over
100000 persons cannot live here without
speedy and prolonged aid.
The appeal that comes to this country
from the foreign committee of Sendai, of
which w. Z. Lampe Is chairman and c. S.
Dawson, secretary and treasurer, states the
case follows:
Already thousands in these provinces are
reduced to shrub roots and bark of trees,
by which mere life may be for time sus-
tanned. but at the least calculation 6s0.0Oo
are facing extreme conditions. What this
means for their poor women and children
we who live in the center of this on-coming
misery can find no words to describe
Many of the readers of this appeal will re-
cali the famine of Aomori three years ago
and the generous and instant aid rendered
by foreigners especially in Toxic and
Yokohama. The loss Of only half crop
brought on that calamity, and contribu-
tons of %. $50 yen from foreigners showed
their sympathy with the suffering people
But a calamity four times as great has
fallen on these last three provinces, and
what makes the famine worse Is that it
comes at the end of a war which cost the
people untold sacrifices.
japanese Not Responsible.
Let 1t be known that this appeal does
not emanate from the Japanese, but from