The state herald., 1912-02-02

'96) / made visit to the fam
~ inc district of Anhui and what
we then saw may be taken as
characteristic of other districts in
China where famine is still raging
1t requires close observer. an ex-
perienced famine relief worker, to
locate the trouble from outward ap-
pearances. But such man can point
1t out to the visitor like myself. Ap-
preaching a village. you see that all
but these pretty green fields is bare
and desolate. Many of the trees that
beautify every town stand gaunt and
white. stripped OF their bark A
number have already gone in decay,
writes G. C. Hanson from Shanghai.
in the Chicago Daily News Crows
inhabit them. The willows still stand
and furnish some hope for the peo-
pie. for their leaves, as soon as they
are little larger. will serve for food.
On the threshing floors there is not
vestige OF the usual straw; all has
been sold OF eaten. The chickens and
the pigs. which are part of every
ago Even the omnipotent dog has
been starved TO death or has served
as nourishment for men. And as for
donkeys. horses and cattle. whereas
almost every household possessed one
or more last summer. village Is for
tunate which can display one today.
The doors OF the houses and their
straw roofs have been sold The mud
walls still stand only because they
have no market value. But even some
OF the walls have been carried away
by the food waters The first cause
OF the desolation was terrific rain
fall in July Of last year, covering the
miles. The heavens seemed TO open
and pour down upon the whole fam
Inc region. In period OF hours n
blanket OF water from nineteen 10
thirty inches deep came down and
the possibility OF fall crop was
instantly wiped out
The people OF Anhui and northern
Kiangsu nre supported from May un.
III December by their spring wheat
crop. In the autumn another crop "a
harvested. part OF which Ia sold. But
n this crop be wiped out starvation
onsues
More than 100000 people are on
the governments relief list. about
million Of whom are actually reached.
The Joint Chinese foreign committee
has reached another half million As
result not so many people are dy.
ing now ms In the months when the
snow covered the ground During
March II was estimated though no
enumeration was possible. that be,
tween 1000 and 5000 persons died
daily from hunger and cold. bu, now
II IL believed that the famine fevsrs
Of the warmer weather hre claiming
all told not more than n few hundreds
each day.
We stood 10 The village street
studying tho people Cochran trying
To decide whether onc distribution Of
grain would keep N. people here
alive until the time Of harvest. for
every uuno. Of grain IN also needed
eisewhcre-indeed many villages
throughout this vast tract Of dcyas
iuted country are not even on the
lists for diaiributlon
The Greatest sufferers are always
the Ing, 60 gather In crowd They
are too weak 10 move about quick.
~ With tho stronger ones In ono
place nj distribution Of grain ~ Of
these less fortunate people were
,rnmpied 10 death. Yet thero>iH much
Kindness among thom; Il IN no, nil n
selfish struggle for, ones own exist.
enro
That middle arcd man who has Just
Joined tho crowd about ua. whose
neck ia no thin that tho bones and
iendonH of hia throat are visible, In
typical of class When tho famine
irht drew near last November h. mud
his wife pul their household posses,
sionH bis aged mother and tho chill
dren on whoelbarrow ana started