The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1906-04-26


SHAME.
most a 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
nomic 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.O00. The
people realize the need for intelligent
expansion, and the congestion is being
relieved by emigration to Formosa,
Korea, ManchEria. To change the pre-
carious situation OF such large popu-
latIon depending almost solely on
few agricultural crops, which may
fail. the present is marked by deveI-
opment Of manufactures and the en-
larging Of outside commerce. Future
needs are studied. provision making
for meeting them.
But it Is with the problem Of the
famine we must confine ourselves in
this briefest Of sketches. The three
rice Provinces Of Miyagi. Fukushima
and Iwate 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 -four In the
northernest province, Miyagi, the
worst sufferer. only one-eighth OF a
crop harvested, the people have been
subsisting. whole villages Of them, on
sort Of bitter bread made Of ground
up acorns Even in the province
where the foods worked least havoc,
Fukushima, the Inhabitants are in alb
ject need, the American consul gener-
al at Yokohama reports they require
speedy and prolonged aid.
Z The imperial government has adopt
ed policy similar to that followed by
England In famine times in India, has
given the people work. Swampy lands
are being drained to provide for future
rice fields. bridges built, river banks
strengthened, roads improved, old rice
tracts made over. England and Amer
lea are sending aid, the emperor and
rich citizens have contributed sever
al hundred thousand yen; but with an
estimated crop loss Of $4,000, 1t can
easily be seen relief measures imma-
diate and continued win be necessary.
Not all can be saved.
To add to the misery, the past win
ter has been unusually severe for
Japan is not all made up OF soft
zephyrs and cherry blooms. The spe-
cial representative Of the "Independ-
ent" in Japan has sent to his magazine
photographs and text Of the narrowing
conditions in the blighted provinces;
we are shown six by six hut in
which a father and four children live,
and told that wind and snow go freely
through the miserable shelter.
CASH and Toshi. starved-to-death and
frozen-to-death, are common every
where. The Japanese are spirited,
hard-working people, but the famine
has thrown tens Of thousands out Of
employment, and has brought ruin
10 their homes. Thousands OF men
have fed from the famine region, leav-
ing wife and children. and in these
once fairly happy homes there Is now
no food, no clothing. no kind Of fur
nfture that can be sold. There are
multitudee that have eaten nothing for
two or three days. and are driven to
leaves and kayk."