The Cairo bulletin., 1912-04-16
China HAS HAD
500 FAM|NES IN
THOUSAND YEARS
Present Suffering Caused by Ex.
cessive Rains Instead Of
Drouths

the Chinese, yet have grown 50 ur-
consciously familiar with the stu
pendous calamities which from time
to time affict that great country
that only the intermittent alarm.
Of frequent famine stories brings /,
us a real sense of the horrors-the
suffering and death-in the gref I
iiood-stricken area of China: fot-
,rors not alone of mere starvation
but of that stalking, CHASTITY fan
inc fever We call 'yphus and the
raging smallpox which has a.
ready laid its black hand upon many
of the impoverished. starving multi
tudes.
In a period of l,900 years China
mas had over 500 famines, yet prae-
.tically all of these have been w.
known TO the world at large. The
great famine of 1873, taking its Ger
'ible toll of nine to thirteen mi.icl
ives, aroused the attention and
sympathy of the whole world ard
he generous response which fol-
lowed the appeal of a Famine Con-
nittee at that time did much 10
break down the barriers of anti
'oreign feeling which up to then
had been insurmountable.
The present famine, unlike the
drought famine of 1873, has been
due to excessive rains, followed BY
typhoons and floods, affecting an
area of over $4,000 square miles and
4 population of over 5000, 000 peo-
Pile
Past experience has rendered pos
sible the distribution OF famine re-
lief on most systematic and eco.
nomical basis The pauperizing ef-
feet resulting to some extent from
relief operations in other famines.
due to affording support to thous-
ands during prolonged periods Of
enforced idleness, has been practi-
cally eliminated in this.
The famine fund is being largely
used in employing the famine suf-
ferers to reconstruct their own
dykes and roads destroyed by tho
floods Thus the idle and despair
ng people are enabled to earn
living while waiting for another har-
vest, and are at the same time help
ng to restore normal conditions ana
20 prevent future occurrences CT
his nature. Wages are paid in food
only, and this reward is necessarily
10 limited as to offer inducements
)nly to those truly deserving. To
ave and sustain life is the object
If famine relief, and since the mears
never equals the need, the rations
must be carefully distributed and
hose who are suffering least, ig-
1ored for those whose necessities
ire vital. These extreme cases make
10 demonstration-they have gotten
beyond that. They do not even beg,
out are mute and motionless, the
park of life hardly struggling II
'etain its hold upon their emaciate1
forms. Sometimes when they under
stand that the ticket given them
means food and life, tears roll down
heir cheeks, Tickets for food are
'iven only in the home, except In
Exchange for labor, the necessities
If each family being judged, not
~ the home, but by the faces of its
inmates. A man may be hungry and
for food but unless his |
ACE is swollen from anemia he
must be passed by for those more
erribly needy We're ii not that
through centuries of poverty and |
Xtreme hardship only the strong |
laye survived, half the three mil
ion now suffering would have died |
n the first months of the famine.
1t is difficult for us to realize the |
lorror Of these extensive famines, |
onfined almost wholly to China. In
liza and Russia Under the best |
onditions the Chinese live but a |
ordid life, devoid Of many things
We would regard as necessary to
xistence and with every form OIL
luxury unknown-for what the Chi. |
Iese know as prosperity, we should |
egard as the severest hardship. asl
means coarse and meager living, |
cramped and cherries hut, and |
he most trying toll from the rising
f the sun until the fall of darkness.
filk and butter are practically un-
.nown, meat Is rarely tasted oftenerI
han once a week and then only |
Inder prosperous conditions, and |
he fat years, there is little surplus
o be saved for the lean years of
anime. Hence, when drought or
Iood destroy the crops, there is
-