The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-03-03
Famine a n d Pla 6 u e
SW ep Over Empire
w it'll Fearful Results
ONLY TWO NATIONS.
. Hell P SUFFERERS
Millions Without Food Existing
on Roots and Grasses Physi-
clans Are Of Opinion That
Warm Weather Will Kill
G c m s--Missionaries
Tell Tragic Stories.

Picking, March Famine and the
plague are sweeping over China The
known deaths from tho plague num-
Der 5000 and according to the Of
fetal statistics, the death rate averages
zoo daily. but the officials have little
knowledge Of the conditions in the In
terror, or il they have, they are not
permitting the facts to be known.
II is Impossible even TO estimate
the humber OF deaths that have re-
suited from lack OF food. Or. Samuel
Cochran, an American, who is engaged
in the work of relief, writes: "One mii-
lion people will die before the first
crop Is harvested. This Will be scanty.
because the people have not the
strength TO till The soil, and no ami
mails remain for blowing
he chinese are directing their eff
forts TO control the plague chiefly
along the railways and frontiers, for
political reasons. Since the recent Rus
sian request for permission 10 cross
the border and quarantine Chinese
towns, along tile Amur. China has at
tempted to check the plague along the
frontier, but the Russian legation says
that this has heen done ineffectiveiy.
because there are no doctors there who
are familiar with modern methods OF
sanitation.
Local authorities, including the po-
lice and soldiers, in former epidemics.
left the people to die now they do
not care or do not know how to main
tam adequate sanitary measures. lap
anese and Russians have both offered
assistance. but only in a few places
have these offers been accepted. the
Chinese not liking to receive favors
from foreigners, whose political mo-
tives they distrust.
Hone for Warm Weather.
PHYSICIANS engaged in combating
Inc disease Of the opinion that
warm weather VIII ieilf-ti1e7 germs. al
though this may bring only a tenn
porary respite II is said by the medi-
~cal authorities that such an epidemic
as the present one has not visited the
world since he middes ages.
Owing to the political question in
VOWED and the presence of foreigners
along the railways the plague in
Manchuria is receiving greater atten-
ton than the famine. but the death
rate from the famine is many times
greater than that from the plague. The
famine is the result of the destruction
OF the crops by fall of sixteen inches
OF rain In two days last August in
district where the people ordinarily
nave hand-to mouth existence
So far Japan and America are the
only foreign countries that have CON
tr,huted TO aid the sufferers but even
the extensive assistance that has come
from tho United States is entirely in
adequate. It is estimated that 10000
600 people are without food, and are
existing on roots. grasses or anything
that affords the slightest possibility of
nourishment Those possessing grain
guard II night and day.
Missionaries who are distributing
relief tell OF many tragic occurrences
man on his way to meet them dying
on the road: another falling by the
waysidc as he was returning 10 his
FAMILY with packet Of rice They
describe the people as horrible skele-
tons, some Of them with limbs hideous
~ swollen. From the famine the death
rate Is SGEeral Thousand dill.