The Hawaiian gazette., 1917-10-30

starving among the Syrians and Ar
menians, of whom there are, it is es
timated two millions in the direst Of
straits, President wilson yesterday is,
sued an earnest appeal to the people Of
the nation. + 80 fE !. 4. (.
In some instances the sufferiugs OF
the Armenians are due to the atroei
ties of the Turks but with the Syrians
authorities say that such Is not en-.
tirely the case.
President Wilson in his appeal says
that contributions from the United
i states last year saved thousands but
the situation this winter is even more
menacing. - .H
Thousand Deaths Daily
A thousand deaths a day from star
walton out Of a population of $50, 900
in the Lebanon Mountains near Beirut,
Syria, is the toll OF famine conditions
there resulting from the war, il was
declared here today by the Rev. Will
liam II. Hall, of the Syrian Protestant
College, who recently returned to this
country from relief work in that dis
| tTict. .. ...
Continuing Mr.. Hall described the
tragic disappointment of the people
there, whose spirits were kept up for
weeks by the promised arrival last
Christmas time of the American re-
lief ship Caesar, which would have
meant life to thousands, but which
never arrived owing to the refusal of
Germany and Austria. Hungary to grant
/ her safe passage to Beirut.
The Caesar, naval collier loaned
to the Red Cross by the navy depart
ment, left New York months before the
entry of this country into the. war, as
Christmas Ship. for the needy in
Syria, carrying more than a quarter of
million dollars worth of food and
clothing contributed in this country.
Vainly Pray and Wait
"Day after day the poor, starving
| people along the coast and through the
mountains looked and prayed for the
| coming Of the American ship, ," Mr..
Hall said. 1.-THE country was can
Vassed by well organized committees,
the needy were listed, the work of dis.
tributions was thoroughly prepared, of
fees were opened and men chosen to
| direct the distribution. The people
waited. Their hopes were raised high.
"Week followed week and month
followed month-in suspense the people
daily looked out to sea for her-but
the ship which meant life and hope to
Thousands never appeared. She was
held by military necessity while the
people starved.
:" God has forgotten us! was heard
again and again as hopeless and hungry
they stood face to face with death by
| starvation.
All Hopes Ended
| If the Caesar had arrived it would
have meant that other ships would fol-
low, but her failure to come dashed
all hope for relief. Her cargo was sold
and the funds finally found their way
to Beirut for the purchase and distribu-
ton of food there, but there was lit.
tie food to be bought.
We know for fact that thousands
of our friends there will die this win
ter, despite the great good that can
be accomplished by sending funds from
America to buy what food can be OBJ
tanned on the ground for distribution
in an effort TO save as many as posi-
BILE. :"
The city of Beirut is as sorely af-
| fiicted as the mountain districts, Mr..
Hall went ON, and day or night. one
hears the cry along the streets ~ am
hungry-give me bread.' This is not
from beggars but from laborers and
tradesmen, people who have known the
comforts of life.
In Jerusalem" he continued, Zone
cannot pass along street without be-
ing beset for prayers for aid. There
are mothers with babes pulling at their
barren breasts and children whose par
ents have succumbed and left them to
| face starvation alone.
People Surely Starve
Syria and Palestine have no story
OF massacre or deportation, but these
districts, once prosperous and self-sup-
porting, are now caught in the world
strife, and the people are slowly but
surely starving to death through no
fault of their own. Figures appall one
competent authorities assert that not
less than 100000 persons are today
| IN dire distress in these historic Bible
! lands. .. f@.E~
"Of this number at least $4,000 are
| children below the age of twelve
boys and girls and little children with
no older person to provide the food
without which they win perish, or to
soothe the last hours when hunger will
have overcome the forces of nature and
the hour has come for them to face the
great eternal without father or mother
near. /"
Locust Plague Aggravates 3d.. ..
| A plague of locusts; the denuding of
the fields of men for the armies; the
bleekade of the coast; the lack of tour.
lists and the breakdown of transporta-
| tiOn are given by Mr.. Hall as the rea-
sons for the failure of food and pros
perity in these lands (which boasted
they never coula suffer famine - so
rich was their productivity. But par
ticularly were conditions due TO specu-
lation in food supplies by Turkish off.
eials and their friends, he said.
- Some men in high positions, hold
ing the food Of the country in their
hands, have gambled with death and
won," Mr.. Hall said. 1.-THE people
have died while they stored away one
knows not what fortunes in gold. ~
The Ottoman government, he said,
has done something in relief measures