Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1920-02-20
a RACE WITH Death

toe terrible for words are at stake.
With II. C. .HcPike, SIG Yates Bldg
Boise. at the reins Idaho is off with
The field of other states toward the
scontributior of many thousands Of
dollars as the Gem states share in
making America the winner in the
tragic contest.
Throughout the month of February,
If needs be, the race VIII continue
though February - is set for its close,
with every community in the country
straining fer the lead in detcr-
mined drive for life saving funds &c
avert one of the most colossal trag-
edies that has ever confronted the
world.
1t is a drive 10 Danish the hunger
enemy-to Danish starvation that
has in many instances brought civil
lzed Christion people to the revolving
practice of cannibaIism; forced hun
ger crazed mothers to eat their hum
ger killed babes and caused living
skeletons of men to rob graves of
their dead for food.
Nearly half million unsheltered
and foodIess orphans. having only bits
of sacking and shreds of filthy rags
to clothe their gaunt little bodies as
they stumble about inthe wintry
blasts crying for bread, must perish
as part of the loss should the cam
paign fail.
The Near East Relief committee, of
which Mr.AIcPike of Boise is campaign
manager for Idaho, is behind the great
drive. 1t is an organization chartered
by the congress of the United States
to save the fast perishing remnants of
all the martyred races of western
Asia, torn and wasted by war and
massacre, famine and disease.
These suffers were Americas allies
in the great war" Mr.. McPike ex-
ploins. They fought bravely on
against odds of ten to one after their
Russian comrades had quit the fight
and fled in mutinous disorder, and
they won against Americas enemies,
1 but only exiled misery and starvation
has been their spoils of war.
peace and plenty have come again
to other peoples, but these unfortun-
ates refugees suffer on. War is not
over for them for hunger knows no
amistice.
"a contribution of $5 VIII save
life; it will adopt an orphan, for it
will feed one of them for a month
how many will you help saver"
More than half million people VIII
starve or freeze to death in the Near
East this winter before deHef from
America can reach them, unless the
help now being sought for them
throughout the United States is quick
in coming.
This is the word brought back from
the stricken land by Leslie II. Robin
son, who as a soldier in the famous
rainbow division of the \. f. f., saw
many horrible sights in France, but
nothing, he declairs to compare with
those on view right now all over Ar
menia where he has been in the SER
vice of the Near East Relief committee
for the last several months
Hanging onto the last few sparks
of life" says Mr. Robinson in his re-
port. millions Of people, without food,
without homes. even without clothing.
except for bits of gunny sacking, rein
forced with few rags for their bodies,
l
no gloves, are clinging to the Near
East Relief and America as their last ,
desperate hope of survival. 4;
whatever has been told of terrible s
conditions there have been under 5
rated instead of exaggerated. On the
high plains where many thousands of
the suffers from war and massacre.
exile and famine live, there is nothing
but almost Arctic bleakness. With
neither food or clothing, their ema-
ciateh bodies have no power to resist
the steady, awful cold. No wonder
they die. The last remnants OF those
brave races are perishing.'
With the receipt of this and other
similar reports from other workers ?
who have actually witnessed the I
scenes of horror all over western Asia.
which is fast becoming known as the p"
Land of Stalking Death" Near East 3
relief workers all over America are II
'edoubiing their efforts to quickly OBJ Z
ain adequate contributions to meet n
he killing need across the sea. u
Under the direction of H. G. McPike. q
nc Yates building Boise, Near East u
Relief campaign manager for Idaho ~
ounty units of this great life saving ca
rganization are now moving ahead at -
ur speed in an intensified drive TO ST