Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1921-04-28

DIE IN A NIGHT
IN SINGLE TOWN
Conditions In
China Brought Home
To Americus

ty. Rev. G. w. Mathews, who Is
years ago was pastor of the First
Methodist Church here and is now
secretary of the South
Georgia conference, was in Americus
Wednesday securing cooperation Of
the ministers and public here in this
relief movement DR.. Mathews has
given up his work as missionary sec
retary for three weeks for this cam
paign and is making flying trip
through South Georgia.
The need is so great and the time
so short that an intensive campaign
will be put on for two weeks through
out the United States. The week of
May Is has been designated a week
of sacrifice for these starving peo-
pie So pressing is the need that the
relief committee has refused many
offers of corn by western farmers,
insisting that it be sold and turned
into money Arrangements have
been perfected for transferring the
funds by cable so that within 10 days
after a donation is received the
food it buys is in the hands of th9
persons to whom it brings relief.
Supplies of coarse food are available
in Manchuria and other Asiatic dis
tricts not far away from the famine
areas, and advantage is being taken
Of this fact.
Georgia Organization.
In Georgia the movement is head
ed by John A. Manget, Of Atlanta,
state director. Rev. Mr.. Mathews is
director of famine relief for South
Georgia. He emphasizes that every
cent contributed goes to the famine
relief. Wealthy Atlanta men are
said to have provided the expense
money for the campaign work, per-
mitting all of the donations to go to
saving lives.
The gifts will be entirely volun-
tary, made by the givers to the local
treasurer, whose name will be an
nounced at once, and no canvassing
will be done. 1t is announced that
cents will save one life for one
day, 25 cents will save one life for
one week, 81 will save one life for
month and So will save one life
until next harvest.
The work of the China Famine
Fund requires immediate action and
immediate results if it IS to be et-
fective.
The direct testimony Of cable
grams, reports, written and verbal,
and photographs show graphically the
need for instant relief.
Relief, if it is to result IN saving
human life, must reach China con
tinuously and in great volume be-
tween the present time and late IN
June.
100000 Dependent.
At the very lowest estimate, five
million Chinese are dependent upon
contributions still to come from
America.
Manifestly all willing to assist IN
saving these lives must act at once
and in unison to prevent disaster
must act and work with the same re-
sponse, mentally, physically and II
nancially, as would be the case II the
suffering were at their own doors.
An outline Of the situation fol
lows: ~
Of rain in the last year in a district
in which the normal rainfall IS 70
inches. In some districts no ram
fell between the autumn Of 1919, and
that of 1920.
Drought, which destroyed three
successive crops, caused famine IN an
area of many square miles IN the
nrovinces of Chilli, Shensl, ShanSl,
Honan and Shantungxr
Several large refugee camps re-
suited from the first flight OF ialh-
inc victims to the important cllleS
where they hoped to secure 1000; put
every possible effort has been made
TO return the sufferers to their nome
villages and farms to prevent cpl
dnnice and in order that they may
he on the land at the time for plant
ing. .n. ,,;o,;,,,y
from tha outside.
Here is a copy of a cablegram:
'peking, March 5, 1921, emma
Famine Fund, New York City,
"present funds from all sources
are sufficient to save only two ana
one-half million people. Chlne
drive funds and other sources may
save additional million. Remaining
five million people uepelluSllO VII az
ditional American funds.
american Advisory Committee"
eve have tremendous task
oboad requiring all agen-
cies working together to the best adj
vantage TO handle it without a de-
bacIe actually resulting says John
Earl Baker, director of Famine Re
lief American Red Cross, Peklng'
Fertile land has been turned into
= desert. The total crop yield
amounted to only 8 percent normal
The picture is as pathetic as 1t IS
APPALLING. Honest, simple folk com
nit suicide on a wholesale scale
rather than resort to .plunder. The
present famine surpasses the prevt-
Gus famine of 1878779, both in Sc
verify and extent. Time means
everything" says S. Alfred SEE,
minister from China to the United
States.
81 have seen the tragedy and look