The public ledger., 1921-04-25
PLAGUE IS PERIL TO
CH|NA'S GRANAR|ES
Bubonic Sweeps Southwark In
Manchuria; Dead Donkey
Brings 81 as Food
"spEED UP FUNDS" IS PLEA

In a recent report from Charles r.
Crane, U. S. Minister to China, to the
American Committee Of the China
Famine Fund, 1t is stated, that Bu-
bonic plague which q few months ago
appeared In Northern Manchuria, has
crept southwark until 1t now threat
ems the main grain supply Of China,
which increases the burdens of this
wOe.beset nation.
AS far back as 1917, China's trou-
bles began to multiply when the Yel-
low River, always known as 'China's
Sorrow" overfowed its banks and
swept the great provinces Of Shantung
end Shansi. The crops were Destroy
ed and millions Of persons made home
less. Floods are not unusual In north
China, but then came the great drouth
and not until last summer did the rain
clouds come between the dry brown
earth and its tormenter-the sun.
Faced Peril In Silence.
But during these days, months and
even years, when the food was gone,
China did not raise her voice for hep.
The world did not know Of the great
tragedy in the Far East enacted on
parched stage with 45,0000OO famish-
ed people as the actors.
1t seemed that at last their troubles
had ended when the green things be-
gan to peep above the ground last sum-
mer Then came that old enemy of
mankind-locusts in droves, in clouds
so thick they obscured the light of sun
descended as from nowhere, and al
most over night the earth was stripped
Of every living growing thing The
stage once more was parched, brown,
dry desert; but many Of the actors
had passed into the land of their an
cestors.
In some recent information received,
an instance Is reclted describing the
terrible destitution of the famine
stricken land-a donkey had died in a
distant province from lack of food. Its
owner carted 1t into the interior of
| the famine area where eager bidders
finally ran the price up to 81 to use its
carcass for food.
Plague Threatens GranarIes.
And now the plague threatens Chi
mas granaries. Unless the plague can
be checked. Mr.. Crane asserts, the
granary relied on for the relief of mil
lions Of famine victims in North China
will be cut off.
"The situation is rendered more Sc
rious," writes Mr.. Crane, "by the fact
that Manchuria Is literally crowded
with foreign exiles." There are no
fewer than 100000 Russians who fed
before the Bolshevik executioners,
25O,OO0 Koreans, and thousands of Chi
nese who formerly lived in Siberia, but
who have been driven into Manchuria
by the Red Armies.
Concerted efforts are being made
In cities and towns along the Chinese
Eastern Railway to combat the plague,
hospitals being established and the
victims Isolated. Efforts also are un-
der way to fight the source of the dis
ease-the rats that carry the germ.
Thousands Of persons already have
died, and have been given hasty burial.
SPELLS Doom For Millions.
IF the grain supply Of Manchuria
Is cut of, the famine victims In Shan.
tung, Chill, Honan, Shansi and Shensl
will be doomed, Manchuria represen-
tatives Of the American Red Cross, the
Chinese Red Cross and the Y. NJ. c. A.
have Informed the Peking authorities
of the danger and urged that grain
buying and shipments be fastened"
In the famine area there are approx.
imately 100000 persons subslsting
on dry leaves, bark and roots, and only
through the speed Of funds to obtain
this grain before 1t is cut of by the
plague can these people be saved from
death by starvation.
The raising Of funds now, at the
time when all efforts must be speedily
put behind the work, is possible only
through organizations In local commu-
mites. The Rev. DR.. e. Y. Mullins,
Chairman In Kentucky for the China
Famine Fund, issued a call to persons
in each community In Kentucky to get
together at once and form a local or
ganization for the solicitation of funds
for these starving people before 1t is
too late to save them. Through the
China Famine Fund money collected in
America Is distributed to every organ