Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-05-13
U. 5. ARMY Man
TO AID CHINA in
AlElR||T'ING| FAMINE A
IBy Latest MALL

WASHINGTON the Chinese en-
bassy in this city Dr.. Chen Chin Tao is
waiting to receive from Secretary Of
War Garrison the name or the Ameri-
can army officer. who is to be loaned
to the Chinese government to under
take the greatest work of reclamation
ever attempted by man 1t is pretty
well known what army officer will be
chosen. provided he cares to undertake
the mission. - = '..-=..' 8
A day or two ago the senate sane
toned Joint resolution granting per-
mission to the war department to des-
ignate an officer for the Chinese Re.
clamation service, and to grant him
leave of absence until the work is COM
pleted. The house will give It's consent
and America will aid China in prevent
ing in future years the loss of thous-
ands of lives which have been saeri-
feed annually in the past $500 years to
famine and food conditions in a great
tract of Chinese territory. The Ameri-
can Red Cross took the initiative in
this matter and through its influence
the Chinese government undertook to
finance the work of reclamation. r@
For three years Charles Davis jane
son. an American civil engineer, living
in China, has been studying conditions
in great section of China. The report
of this engineer has been turned in. 1t
does not go into details as to plans for
betterment These will be left for de-
cision to the army officer assigned to
the reclamation work. .s.. =.
District of DesOlation. -
Not far from Shanghai, as distances
appear on the map, begins what has
been called the district OF desolation.
1t lies north of the Huai river, and the
Hungtze lake and the old bed of the
Yellow river south of the Province of
Shantung and the present bed of the
Yellow river. 1t extends east and west
from the sea to the Ke river.
|. AS near as a layman can describe
the reasons for the floods and the fam
ines and the sufferings in this section
they are due originally to the construc-,
ton OF a great Chinese canal This
waterway was built so far in the past
that history does not record the date.
IL vi NhoiiS pdIdliCiS JIlS COdSIIIuC dI
some distance inland. 1t was built or
iginally for the purpose of making easy
the transportation of the tribute of the
people to the City of Pekin.
The canal interfered with the proper
flow of many of the rivers and smaller
streams. The outlets under the canal
were insufficient in food times to car
ry off the water. The result was that
over many thousands of square miles
there was a backset of water. which
gathered in pools, created marshes, and
in some cases actual lakes.
Destroyed Growing Crops.
When there was a cessation of the
rains the water would make it's way
slowly to the sea, but the natives never
were certain that they could raise anyI
crops. because they did not know at
what moment the waters would rise
again and destroy everything growing.
In large parts of this district, which
up to a century or so ago were still
capable at times of cultivation. now
are marshes and wastelands. If the
American engineer who undertakes
the work of reclamation can do it, he
will restore an empire TO China and
will perform perhaps the greatest hu-
manitarian service ever undertaken.
One of the great engineering rrob-
iems which will concern the American
army officer will be how to carry
quickly to the sea in flood time tnei
waters Of the rivers and the streams.
The canal which still exists is in use
for commerce. and it must be kent to
serve its present purposes. He must
devise means to reclaim the swami
lands, to turn lakes into dry land and
TO max" a huge territory habitablp. Ii
tn" man assigned to this work is sue