Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-29
MILLIONS NEED AID
Famine in China Districts De-
stroying Many Lives.
RED CROSS CABLES FUNDS
Cooperative Plan Adopted for EN-
ploying the Natives.
BUILDING DIKES ON RIVERS
Other Measures Devised to Prevent
Overfows-Three Floods Come
in Successive Seasons.
BUILDING DIKES ON RIVERS

| The American Red Cross Society today
cabed to Shanghai 5000 for the i'm
mediate relief of the Chinese flood suf-
| ferers.
Following the receipt of report from
| {. u. Jameson, its engineer in China, to
| the effect that there is not enough food
in the flood districts to last beyond the
| 1St of February, the society decided to
| send immediate relief. without waiting
for further contributions in response to
/ the appeal for aid issued Friday by
/ President Taft
Announcement was made this morning
of the adoption of cooperative plan,
| entered into by the society. the central
| China famine relief committee at Shang-
/ hal and Chinese citizens committees
| scattered throughout the flood regions.
| with the object of affording permanent
relief to the famine-stricken Celestials
| by preventing. as far possible, a re-
currence of the conditions caused by the
overflow of rivers in the Anhui and XII
angsu regions.
Thousands of Chinese in these districts,
it is announced. are to be employed with
the proceeds of the relief fund in the
task of constructing and repairing dykes
and dams along the rivers, building
drainage canals and repairing bridges and
lhe walls of cities.
Works Out General Plan.
Mr.. Jameson was sent to China six
months ago by the American Red Cross.
The revolution prevented him from COM
pleting his study of the engineering task,
but he succeeded in making a complete
reconnaissance of the Anhui and Kiangsu
IL
for the repair of the damage caused by
the overflow of the rivers in those sec
tons.
During his investigations Mr. Jameson
found that a number of citizens commit
tees. composed of the most progressive
Chinese had been organized for the pur-
pose of assisting the natives in reclaim
ing the land and planting crops. These
committees, it is announced. as re-
suit of Mr.. Jameson'S recommendation,
are to work with the central relief COM
mittee at Shanghai in employing laborers
for the reclamation task and paying
| them out of the relief funds.
According to Mr.. Jameson's report, the
condition of the flood sufferers is reach
ing an acute stage.
Report of Conditions.
His report. in part, says: I'm North
Anhui and North Kiangsu there is any
quantity of work to be done in repair
ing and building up the dykes, roads,
etc. This work would feed all the
famine sufferers throughout that part
of the country and would not affect
the general scheme of draining the
whole region; but every dollar would
spent no money in such repairs, and
everything is simply going to rack and
ruin. If such work were organized. there
is no place which would provide work
for the famine sufferers but which would
do good to the districts in which such
work was done.
LAS to the necessity of work in the fam
| inc region, do not think any Of you have
any idea of the condition of the people
| in that diStrict-of their utter wretched-
| ness. 1t is not acute suffering. at pres
| ent, which comes as the immediate result
of flood. They have had no floods to
speak of this year; but they have had
/ floods for three years. they. have had no
crops and are utterly discouraged.
| "A few years ago the majority OF them
| had been successful farmers. but now
| they have absolutely nothing. There was
not a day that did not pass two or three
bodies of men, women and children lying
on the road When the people got tired
and gave up they simply dropped down
where they were and died, where they lay
unburied.
Effect on Children.
1.-The effect this sort of thing is having
ON the children of that region is that
| they are growing up beggars, if they do
not die. Their fathers and mothers are
either dying. begging or robbing. The
schools throughout that section are all
closed
There is not single city or village in
| that region where work could not be
done. In every case there is work for
1850 people If they could be put at 1t.
/ What I have said about Anhui applies
| equally to North kiangsu."
The Red Cross Society has received
the following communication from DR.. A.
p. Wilder. United States consul general
at Shanghai:
The situation is one that may well
engage the philantnropic interest of the
world. The Suchien missionaries esti-
mate that there are 1,01J.0OJ people in
their district alone, not including Using
kiangpu and other parts OF North
| kiangsu. who need relief this winter if
they are to endure until spring.
Three Millions in Distress.
! If you include North Anhui. parts of
which are very needy: the region around
Wuhu. where the sanest reports today
put the number of men who should be
kept at work at 10000 (this not includ
ing their wives and children). 3,Oo0,00o
people as a total is fair estimate of
] the famine sufferers of this year-say
10000 families. Reckoning at 10 cents
gold per day the cost of supporting a
family, il would need at least SIS gold
per family from December l to the end
of April.
| Under competent engineers this work
could be of untold value to the localities
1 in which relief is administered.
i The society, from its headquarters in
/ Washington. will cable all money donated
for the sufferers to the relief committee
/ in Shanghai.
/ Local contributions have been asked
| for by the District soard of the Amer
lean Red Cross. Commissioner CunO ii.
Rudolph is president of the board and
| Howard S. Reeside treasurer.