The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1911-03-24
APPEAL
FOR THE STARVING
CHINESE PEOPLE
REV. @. p. BosTlck TELLS HOW
A LITTLE MONEY WILL SAVE
MANY LIVES.
SECTIONS ARE WIDELY SEPARATED
Suffering Is by No Means Confined TO
One Part of the Celestial Empire
One Hundred Thousand May starve
by Next June.

NASHVILLE, Tenn, March 90
Rev. G. P. Bostick makes the follow
ing appeal for the famine sufferers
There are two widely separated
sections of China now suffering form
very severe famine-one in Human
province caused by the overflow OF
the Han river last September, the
other in An Hwei and adjoining
provinces occasioned by the heaviest
rains ever known in that region in
August and September resulting in
the complete destruction of the au.
tumn crops.
"In the very heart of the latter SEQ
tion the writer lived and worked for
several years and has brother and
sister living there now. I am con
stantly In receipt iof their letters tell
ing Of most heart-rending scenes. In
my brothers last letter, received last
week, he says that it is estimated
that 100000 people within seventy
five miles of their home are in real
suffering and that without heroic help
from the outside world probably 1000
900 will starve by the middle of June.
He also writes that many people are
almost naked and entirely homeless
and the mercury was down to twenty
degrees above zero; also that very
many people were selling and giving
away their children and that not
few were dropping dead Of cold and
hunger on the streets. For the chill
dren that are being sold the most aw.
full thing is that there will be fiends
on hand to purchase little girls and
barter them away again for mos in.
famous purposes.
"These poor people are anxious to
work for even half wages when food
is up more than 100 per cent. My
brother was undertaking very
small job of public work, offering
about half wages just to save some
of these from starvation. He started
to use only one hundred men, then
put the limit to two hundred and had
probaly refused 1000, many of whom
on their knees begged to be allowed
to work.
Our President has appealed to the
people for help and the Christian Her.
aid of New York Is doing noble work,
but l fear that at least 100000 will
starve by June next. A United States
transport has left Seattle, laden with
provisions for these poor people. This
vessel is carrying million pounds
of -four, bought through the Chris
tian Herald. But that will give only
about four ounces of flour to each
sufferer within seventy-five miles of
my brothers home.
There Is a large representative
committee In Shanghai composed Of
the leading business, official and mis-
sionary men of all nations, this COM
mittee receives and forwards, with
all possible speed, supplies sent. All
the Missionaries in these stricken dis
tricts are giving their time and at
tention to succor of those In distress.
They are cooperating with local Of
fcials and the gentry in making the
best possible use Of all help sent
Some Of these men and women win
almost certainly lay down their lives
in this most trying service.
my brother writes that one dollar
will tide an individual over until
wheat harvest and save him from
starving. How many readers Of these
lines could easily do without some
luxury and send dollar to save a
life, How many viii do Il! LEFT
this region last November and even
then there was not little suffering
One Of our own Christian families of
seven or eight members was living
almost entirely on bran.
"One leading newspaper in Shang-
hal printed in English is appealing to
all its readers to do without one meal
and give the amount 1t would cost to
save a life. One meal for any of us
over here would tide one Of these
sufferers over for a week.
81 appeal to every one to consider
in the midst of all our bless
ings we ought not to give something
for this purpose I was so moved
last fall when I saw the conditions
that existed that I told my brother
to advance IS per month which /
would repay him in order to help
Eve families.
81 trust that many will be moved
to do something for these sufferers
far over the sea and are reminded
Of the words Of him who said: IT is