The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1906-02-12
THE JAPANESE
FAMINE GROWING
WORSE DAILY

| Washington, Feb 12.-Conditions OF
| famine exist in some OF the northern
provinces OF Japan which have not been
equalled since the disastrous scarcity OF
food I'm 1910.
The state department has received ad-
vices concerning the conditions I'm the ar
fected provinces and an official dispatch
from one OF the consular officers at Yoko-
hama has been made public for the pur.
pose OF letting the American public know
the extent OF the suffering from the fam>
Inc.
The conditions are regarded as extreme
ly serious and great efforts are being
made TO afford relief 10 the sufferers. The
primary cause OF the famine is the failure
OF the rice crop in the provinces of Miya-
ri. Fukushima and Ivata-the three men
toned In the report which has just been
made public by the department.
These three districts have n population
OF 2s21. .557 When IL is considered that
rice forms the principal food for the ma
tives II can be readily understood what a
serious situation may be brought about
by failure
According TO reports. thousands OF peo-
pie are living on roots and leaves, some
times mixed with n small quantity OF rice
or four when II Is possible for them tn
secure either -four or rice. Many others
are using -four made by grinding
acorns. BY some process the bitterness 10
removed.
LOSS OF s4.ssSOo
a committee was appointed from the
foreign communities OF Sendai 10 make an
investigation OF conditions. This commit
tee made a report that in a population ot
500 279 at least $4,000 are I'm extreme dis
tress with no possibilities OF saving life
without aid
The official statements made by the
japanese government at Toxic. IL is de-
clared. do not show entirely the terrible
conditions in the provinces mentioned,
and the suffering the people must endure
until the new crops are harvested. This
means the people must be In want not
only for the remainder Of the winter, but
also through the spring months.
The extremes in temperature and the
unusual amount OF rain were the causes
OF the failure Of the rice crop. The Jap
anese government had taken no decisive
steps at the time the report OF the COM
mittee was made. On this point the report
says:
ut has been stated that the government
proposed to issue large number OF local
bonds. with the proceeds from the sale
OF which II was proposed TO institute local
improvements and employ as far as posi-
BILE therefor the famine districts
This. however. is only a tentative
n1easUrrs for IL will require more concen-
trated effort 10 relieve the absolute suf-
fering.
'Of the provinces mentioned, Mlyagi IL
in the worst condition. The average crop
Of rice in this district is valued at 1000
600 yen, or. gold. s5,976OO0. This year was
but u per cent OF the average, and the
loss entailed amounted to about 100000
yen or A,9Ss,00o gold. rr,rvst
There are upward OF 250,0O0 people I'm
this province and disaster TO them all IN
apparent. Fukushima province grows rice
each year To the value OF Is. .553 900 yen, or
gold, 80 2s9.sO2 This years crop has been
20 per cent failure and the loss here
amounts To over 100000 gold This PROV
ince supports a population OF 1,174,024.
THE eastern part of this province
seems TO have suffered the most. and tho
rice crop there is but 10 per cent OF the
average yield Reports from this district
show that fully 10000 people are suffer-
ing for food and immediate steps must be
taken to avoid calamity"