Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1908-08-13
How
England
Has Held
Down India
BY ST. NIHAL SING
Copyright, by Joseph B. Bowles.)

NCOpyrlBnt, ny Soseph ID oo"'S'"
While the educated people OF India
appear to be content with carrying on
wordy warfare over political questions
and arraigning the British administra-
tors OF Hindostan for inaugurating o
reign OF terrorism In the country, I'M
pending famine Is hanging over the
heads of the country's 300.000,000 In
habitants. Crops have failed in many
sections, and already half.famished
Hindoos are face to face with the
specter OF starvation.
During the latter portion Of the Brit
lsh administration Of India, famine has
followed famine with direful fire.
quency. Within the last rs years
l9, 000.0 900 Hlndoos have died OF sheer
starvation. Grinding poverty Is 30
omnipresent in the country that many
millions of East-Indians are perpet'
ually in q half-starved condition. The
scarcity of food becomes more pinch
Ing and accentuated when times are
harder. Then the poor Hindoos, In.
stead of starving inch by inch, are
quickly blotted out
The impoverishment Of the masses
defies portrayal. 1t is much uglier.
much more poignant and painful than
that which is to be found In the
Ghettos and poor quarters OF Amer
lean cities. It is estimated that an
average East-Indian requires at least
q dollar to q dollar and half q month
merely to exist; but since his income
Is computed by recognized British au'
thorities to be only so cents month,
It will be seen that he lives consider
ably below the poverty line. During
the last two years the government has
expended out Of the revenues collect
ed from the East-Indian tax payers
over $130,000,000 in trying to keep the
impoverished millions Of Hindostan
alive. One out of every 16 OF
the 300,0O0,000 inhabitants has
been In receipt of actual charity re-
lief. This was the case In practi-
cally normal years. Now that the
scarcity is assuming vaster dimen'
sions and appears to be developing
into q colossal famine, greater pro-
portion OF the people will have to be
saved at the expense Of the public.
The abnormal poverty has augment
ed the death rate. Figures collected
from official records show that mortal.
lty has increased from rs per 1000
to IS per 1000 within the past ten
years. Chronic starvation has led to
the propagation OF cholera and
plague to such q fearful extent that
during the last decade 100000 East
Indians have persisted from the
latter.
In such desperate straits the masses
Of India find themselves to-day.
The very existence Of the farmer. the
artisan, the workingman, the laborer
by day or month. the petty business
man and the clerk, is in serious jeop-
ardy through famine and plague.
That India should be sunk in the
mire OF fearful and agonizing pow
erty is no cause for wonder. For
two centuries or more India has been
In the position Of a pig, whose throat
has been slit. and the animal hung
I'D by the heels to permit the blood to
drain from its body. Hindostan has
been bled-bled profusely, unmerci-
fully, continuously by conscienceless
and mercenary alien government.
The knife thrusts have been directed
toward the most vital parts Of the