Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-01-21
FOR CHINESE SUFFERERS.

A short timc ago President Roosevelt
appealed TO the American public 10 send
contributions through the Red Cross
society. for the benefit of the starving
millions of the Chinese empire. The re-
lief work Is ia charge of the Chinese
branch OF the Red Cross organization,
ana the offer of Mr., y. ii. Hartman to
transport supplies from San Francisco
and Portland TO Shanghai and Hong
Kong free of charge was accepted by
Secretary Taft. president of the Ameri-
can National Red Cross. Responsible
newspapers were asked to receive and
forward contributions, and among the
publications that accepted the call to
perform this service was the Deseret
News.
il appears that President RooseVelts
appeal for aid has not met with the
general response that was expected.
The Chicago Tribune believes one rea-
son for this Is that the magnitude of
the distress makes relief appear hope
iess. To reach 900 people is, 1t
seems, out OF the question. The paper
mentioned therefore suggests:
"ro enter into the spirit OF the Presl-
dents appeal for aid for starving prov
inces in China let che range OF vision
be limited. Let each well-fed Ameri-
can look around his own family circle
and say: Across the Pacinc Ocean
there Is n family made up Just Ike my
own. There are the aged parents, the
dear wife. the bright boys, and the
sweet girls, the little helpless baby Ana
not one OF them has anything 10 eat
but grass or roots, or bark OF trees.
They are growing weaker daily. The
husband and father has worked hard,
but now ne has neither work nor
strength Something ought to be done
for these people. There may be others,
too. who need help, but the most can
do is to help this one family and mat
] Will do
One dollar, says another exchange,
will save a life IA China, and that can
readily be believed when It IS remom-
bered that dollar there counts as
much as ten here, or more
The situation is as follows:
sowing TO Unprecedented heavy rains
during June, July, August, and part ot
September large part VI he northern
districts Of lklapgsu and Anhul PROV
inces were Hooded. Iht Hooucp AIS
trcts cover 40 600 square miles, support
ing a population of lj,00O,000, None of
the crops have been gathered. An the
necessities Of life have already (NOyem-
bor - doubled IN price Thousands OF
houses have been destroyed. Thousands
OF people are already living ON one meal
day. and often this meal Is composed
only OF cruel and sweet-potato leaves,
'rcns OF thousands have left their homes
10 beg elsewhere. Some throw their
children into the water ana then CONS
nit suicide. Many are selling their
rhildren for almost nothing The farm
ms are selling their work animals "a
buy food and have no wheat 10 plant
Tor next years crop"
II seems To us that many American
ritizens, II they realize tho situation
and how far a dollar VIII 20 to rolioy,
tho distress, would gladly contribute
that dollar. Az the Philadelphia Tole
graph says; "a comparatively tnninG
tax on our superintendent riches may
be enough 10 save millions of lives
The President points The way--a safe
way, q sure way, and speedy way
ke Government Of these Us'tod States