Evening star., 1921-04-18
PLAN
IN NFAM|SHED CHINA
Relief Worker Describes Dis
tribution of Food to the
Starving.
BY WILLIAM r.. GILES.

Correspondence of The Star and Chicago Daily
News.
PEKING, China March 1.-An inter-
Csting picture of famine conditions in
the province of Honan is given by Dr.
Isabelle McTavish. relief worker.
Just returned from a tour of the at
ticted area, with word that. while the
situation is not as acute as it was
expected to be, the toll of lives is tre-
mendous.
"A few days ago. accompanied by
Mrs Stevenson and Dr. Mackenzie"
said DR.. McTavish. Il went TO See the
distribution of food outside the east
suburb of the village of Changte. in
Honan. We went in cart with
Chinese driver. AS we reached the
Forth corner of the city wall we saw
the first evidence of famine results in
the PROSTATE figure of man lying
be side the road, with a little foodpot
in his hands. He had started to go to
the temple where food was being
given out. but had fallen exhausted by
lhe roadside.
Although we had left home at $40
o'clock in the morning. we soon be-
gan TO meet the returning crowds L
inquired of some of them whether
they had eaten. The reply in every
case was the same: Yes. we have
eaten, but not enough to satisfy.
CAS- we approached the temple the
crowd was denser. old and young to-
gether. And they must rise early and
make haste or be among the poor un-
fortunates who arrive too late for the
distribution of tickets and must wait
whole day and go through the same
weary struggle next day before get
ting anything to eat.
Inspects the Cooking.
We left our cart and entered the
temple grounds, where we were
courteously received and shown
around by the officials. We first saw
the enormous pots where the food is
cooked. There were sixteen of these,
built into so many brick fireboxes.
where a fierce fire of charcoal is
famed with bellows to produce the
necessary heat to cook so much
food. They start at midnight and
have the large hangs filled by day
break.
The hangs. large earthenware
vessels. each having about the ca
fore the fires in long row beside
a barricade. on the outer side of
which was the waiting crowd. Each
individual presented his ticket,
his bowl, pot or basket for the food
to be poured into it. That sight once
seen is never to be forgotten. Great
was the crowding, pushing mass OF
women and children, for the men are
kept in a separate yard until the
the vessels were pushed over the
barricade; the reaching arms, the
struggle to get out without spiliInS
the precious food the occasional
dropping of the boiling food on out
stretched hands, made an impression
] shall never forget
Then to watch the people going
away, some hurrylng on with tine
food to give to old people or children
at home; some sitting down as soon
tn
eat at once. One little chap whom
had watched in the struggling
crowd. fearing he would be tram
pied, but who had held his place
a. the barricade bravelE, got his food
and pushed his way out, holding the
reached clear space he sat down
and licked the POT carefully all
around. so that not drop OF what
had been spilled was wasted: then
he tied a big handkerchief around
the pot and started home.
Impertused on All Sides.
The men were let out Of the temple
where they had been kept, but after
watching them few moments We
started for the cart The women and
children saw in US another possible
source of help, and crowded around
US. pulling our clothes. and begging
us to pity them. They were not -vio-
lent or ill-tempered. They were just
very hungry, and insisted on being
heard.
The crowd that received help this
day was the largest yet The official
told Us that 1900 had been fed, of
whom 5000 We're women"
Revised figures of the total popula-
ton affected by the famine. the num-
ber Of persons being fed by all the
relief societies and the additional
number that can be fed have been
issued by D. w Edwards. executive
secretary of the administrative coun-
Gil of the united international famine
relief committee. The committees are
now feeding 100000. and the organi-
cations have 50 arranged their plans
and equipment that they can feed
1896 500 more if they can get the
grain. Getting the grain in time and
in quantity is now the one problem.
The total population affected is 81
e0O. 900, and the funds in the hands
OF the committee is sufficient 10 give
zach person but a fraction of dol
lar in relief. The largest fund based
on the affected population is in the
province of Human. where they esti-
mate thew have S4 cents for each per