Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1912-02-23

/ ~ --N1C q F-S-N - ~-- t----
~ 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 a man can point
1t out to the visitor ike 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 c. 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, viii serve for food.
On the threshing floors there IS not
yestige Of the usual straw; all has
been sold or eaten. The chickens and
the pigs, which are part of every
farmers household. have gone long
ago. Even the omnipotent dog has
been starved to death or has served
as nourishment for men. And as for
lonkeys, horses and cattle whereas
almost every household possessed one
OF more last summer, 8 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 |
wheat land for thousands OF square |
miles The heavens seemed to open 1
and pour down upon the whole fam |
fne region. In period of hours a 4
blanket OF water from nineteen to 4
thirty inches deep came down and 4
the possibility OF a fall crop was
instantly wiped out
The people Of Anhui and northern
Kiangsu are supported from May IN
I'll December by their spring wheat
crop. In the autumn another crop is
harvested part OF which Is sold. But
Il this crop be wiped out starvation
ensues.
More than 100000 people are on
he governments relief list. about a
million of whom are actually reached.
rhe joint Chinese foreign committee
las reached another half million. As
result not so many people are dy-
ng now as In the months when the
now covered the ground During
darch It was estimated. though no
was possible. that be-
ween 1000 and 5000 persons died
aily from hunger and cold. but now
/ is believed that the famine fevers
I the warmer weather are claiming
II told not more than few hundreds
ach day.
We stood in the village street
the people Cochran trying
D decide whether one distribution of
rain would keep the people here
live until the time OF harvest. for
very ounce Of grain Is also needed
sewhere-tndeed. many villages
,roughout this vast tract OF devas-
tied country are not even on the
SITS for distribution.
The greatest sufferers are siways :
10 last TO gather In q crowd. Their 2
re- too weak to move about quick Q
with the stronger ones In one 2
ace az a distribution Of grain 2l OF a
iese less fortunate PEOPLE were
ampled to death Yet there Is much
ndness among them; it Is not ali
lfish struggle for ones own exist c
ice.
That middle aged man who has lust
ined the crowd about us. whose W
ok is SO thin that the boxes and
ndons OF his throat are visible. Is
pscal Of class When the famine IA
st drew near last November he and
5 wife put their household posses ID
ons. his aged mother and the chill hi
sn on a wheslbarrow and started Al