Evening star., 1915-06-17

meeting of the international reliei
board of the American Red Cross here
Wednesday.
Secretary Lansing is chairman. and
other members are Assistant Secretary
Roosevelt, Seth Low and Elihu Root
The purpose is to frame i policy for
the work.
United States Is Sole Hope.
Reports to the Red Cross on Mexican
famine conditions are as follows:
From Nuevo Laredo-"Practically no
crop has been planted in this district
this year. for the reason that the farm
ers have been robbed of their horses,
mules and cattle with which they have
been tending their crops. and for the
additional reason that they are aware
that in case they raised crop it would
be taken by the first band of cavalry
which came along to feed their horses
and men.
The only source of supply of food
for the coming year is the United
States. and with no work for the poor
and prices for food payable in United
States currency or its equivalent. there
will undoubtedly be much suffering un-
less charitable persons come 10 their
assistance.
"A number of families who fed from
starvation farther down in Mexico are
now marooned here without means of
subsistence. An American resident
with a family consisting of a mother
and three little girls sat on the pave
ment near our residence a day and a
night and until 10 o'clock the next day.
when my wife called one of the little
girls TO her and asked her if they had
had any breakfast and she informed
fa hat ha
anything since breakfast the morning
before. My wife gave them a full meal
and / gave them 81 to buy food later
on. 1t is reported that Gen. Ricaut was
offered $50 loaves of bread daily to help
feed these people. but the general po-
litely declined the offer of assistance.
stating that he would feed them The
people are afraid to apply to the mill
tary authorities for assistance because
the men are generally put in the army
and the women are made camp follow
ers.
at seems to be the policy Of the mill
tary forces to convey the idea to the
United States government that there is
practically no suffering for lack of food
in the territory controlled by them"
Corn and Beans Scarce.
From San Luis Potosi-"The corn
supply in the San Luis Potosi district
is scanty and fears are entertained
that it will soon be exhausted. The
available supply of beans is not plenti-
full and may also soon develop a short
age. Wheat and flour have been for
several weeks difficult to buy. The sup
ply of corn. beans and wheat must be
brought in from Guanajuato and il is
not possible to determine when that
source will be depleted.
THE new crop of wheat should be
the market now but it Is scanty and
in scattered localities The immediate
vicinity of San Luis Potosi city pro-
duces considerable fruit. vegetables
and eggs which are now selling at
relatively high prices. AS San Luis
Porosi is a sugar-producing state, there
will be a sufficient stock of sugar. and
several cars have been shipped TO
Torreon and Chihuahua. No actual
shortage of meat has developed. but
the supply is irregular and poor and
not abundant.
The state government has taken
steps to locate the available supply of
corn and wheat and to fix prices on
these staples as well as on sugar,
beans, rice and other products. There
is daily distribution of corn by the
moderate price, In the small towns
and country districts the food cond-
tions are more threatening. 1t is the
exception to find locality where there
is corn enough for seed and to main
tain the people until September. The
the diversion from this market of
many cars of foodstuffs that would
have been logically shipped here. With
reduced consumption disaster may be
avoided in the San Luis Potosi district,
but famine is freely predicted"