The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1912-05-11
FAMINE NOW AT ITS WORST.
Starvation Destroying Thousands in
china-Late Reports from an
American Observer chrldren
Last to Die.

Reports from China received a
| the national headquarters of III.
Red Cross within the last few davs
state that the famine is now at its
most acute stage. During the nex1
/ six weeks while the new crons arc
/ rlpenlng the need for relief will be
most intense. At present the relief
committee is employing about 30 0O0
men on public works and the earn.
ings Of these men are saving nroh.
ably 100000 persons from starvation
Meanwhile, certainly 1900 900 arc
suffering and many thousands must
die unless the relief measures arc
greatly extended.
Charles W. Harvey, of the YMCA
OF Tientsin, made recent Journey
through the famine districts and al
the request Of United States Minis
ter Calhoun, at Peking, prepared a
report of his observations The
character of this report, which has
been forwarded to the state depart-
ment and is now in the hands of the
RED Cross, may be indicated by quot
ing briefly from its contents.
No children We're seen at play. No
grain, meat, vegetables or foodstuffs
OF any kind except the bark of trees.
dried grass, wild garlic and roots
We're seen. We found no sign of |
anywhere, except the rags
on the backs Of the people. no bed |
ding, y few farming implements. |
nothing that could possibly be turn
ed into money except an occasional
piece Of furniture and the doors of
he houses or rafters in the thatched
'oofs. In many places we noted the
'Dsence OF doors in the homes and
Jaw the mud wallis of houses
tr1pped of roofs, which We soon
ound had been used for fuel or ex-
hanged for food.
ION the first morning out of Ching
hangpu we met a man pushing a Il
5heelbarroW containing a low flat {
asket in which was huddIed thet c
tarVlng forms@of his wife and child
nd beside them d few charred pieces /
wood which he hoped to exchange |c
the city for food. L shallIn
ever forget one little mud hut with b
u door, wind CIV sor furniture, Oh the ID
Iud5 551loel' of witch sat young 3
oasaa tVess
Two years ing on It's face nloan D
s.. When 4 asked her why hefe
oaned she replied without comment, Itl
cannot get him I'd eat any more Ip
ass He is starving to death. ol
In all our visits to the homes Of II
ese starving peasants there was no
gglng, no appeals 10 our pity, no W
les Of their suffering, no tears, no pl
lotion, but simply the one sentence 5f
ef and over again, Wo men Essu d
eve are starving to death. "
like the beggars SO common in u
cities, these people a few years 9
were successful farmers and or
'orers unaccustomed to begging. "a
ey nave not learned to beg. We ~
Ind several homes in which only II
ldren were left, and in one home ~
single little child of eight years. Ao
idled in a corner with bowl of IN
'ked bark and weeds, which she was I'd
iAAso WIN tiop SllChS. Sle was -
last of her family. The workers u
famine relief said it was usual for 90
father to die first, then the pa
ther, then the older children and }e(
younger children last of all
wing that affection, and self sacri- 20
persisted even under these con ltt
ons. i y i zhe
visited two Of the stations for
line relief carried on by the Cen -
China Famine Relief Committee ~
7se were at You Kou and Sun
a Wei Tsu; the first was con -
ted from village of about 1000 J.,
the latter in farmhouse of one ~,
the local gentry. We thoroughly ~,
estigated the relief work in opera ~ ~
/. talked over the plans of the Hh
nese and the foreigners in charge, -,
with those being relieved. and / -
convinced that the relief is sane -
and economically conducted; eff ~ln ~;
i've in relieving the suffering of lnl
people; in helping to prevent sh'
repetition of famine conditions; M
$ not pauperize those helped but
Ter encourages self-help; and I
every dollar is honestly admin .====:
red
he American Rad Croc. 49,.