The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 19??-1922, 1920-12-22
CHRISTMAS AND THE STARVING CHILDREN
BY William Garner Burgin.


The Christmas season is upon with the JOY and hap
pness which that always brings. 1t is truly the
Christine season. when self is forgotten and the whole
world finds its happiness in thinking of Others Every home
in Columbus shares that feeling and participates in that
spirit But gather about re-sides each even
ing during this Christmas week. and three times each day
we sit down to weaden boards should forget the
lot of millions Of others less fortunate than weoher whom
the cruel exgences of have deprived of homes
bers of families and left remaining members desttute-cod
hungry and alone.
No Christmas that the world has known before ever
dawned upon much of human suffering and sorrow En-
tire nations destitute lacking the barest necessities
Famine stalks abroad the EARTH and unless America acts
and acts quickly, many millions Of fellow human kind
will die for want of food The tragedy increased by
OF the fact that of those in need children of tender
years. whose little bodies cannot long endure the harshps
to which they are subjected.
Christmas is pre-eminenty the chldrens time. The
thought of the world centers about Babe who born in
Bethlehem and about other babes and little Ones after Him.
who have brought happiness and sunshine into the world and
who at the Christmas time douby dear And yet
write and the children Of homes and
land exut in the Christmas spirit millions of the children Of
Central and Southern Europe face starvation three and half
millions of the little of these lands face the most ortur
GUS of deaths at this very moment Already in Austria and
in Serbia they dying daily by the hundreds of ricketts,
and tuberculosis produced by insufficient food for their little
bodies and countless little newmade graves dot the country
side in all of the lands where famine stalks In Ireland aso
the situation critical Mrs McSwiney speaking in Wash
land She said that the adult population, the and the
would be able perhaps to subsst through the winter
but unless America to the the children would
have to be sacrificed 1t didn't matter much about the
suerngs of the grownups the speaker sad But heart
for the children who must die of starvation unless
relief comes /" On the same day. President Wilson adj
dressed appeal the American people for aid for famine
stricken China whose four hundred millions of people also
face restitution Truly the world is full of want and suffer-
ngand it is into this kind of world that the Christ spirit
today What opportunity is offered to extend
helping hand the to those wo but for help
must die If Christmas anything to this year, it
should opportunity to give to little neghbors in
distress-whose little bodies shver with cold and food
upon which to subsist.
The Literary Digest raising relief fund in behalf of
the children of the stricken countries requires ten dollars
to keep child through the winter This will provide three
little garments pair of stockings underwear and coat,
and meal day through the winter months. 1t will
qure total of twenythree million dollars for this work. and
million already has been sent in to The Digest and
knowedged Mr. Hoover who in charge of this work. is
confident that the other millions will The people of
Columbus would not be deprived of the opportunity to
tribute to this fund Every child in this city who is well
clothed and well fed (for there in Columbus
who should give thank offering toward the relief
of these suffering and starving children Every father and
mother should do likewise and every person who shares the
Christ spirit of nnisterng to those need Many people
limiting themselves in their expenditures for Christmas
presents in order to have the to give for the proogng
of these little ones lives. Others denying themselves
the little expenditures for the little ndugences that
common and are giving their savings from this to
this worthy WUrkmen in great factories denying
themselves their midday meal and giving the amount they
would spend for that to the children who dependent for
life upon the meal which provide Every can
give something however little and that is DONE the need
will be met and the children saved The Dispatch will gladly
cooperate in this worthy work, and will acknowledge all