St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1921-03-18
CORN CObS ARE Diet
OF HUNGRY CHINESE
Oregon Nurse Writes That
Misery Stalks Through
North China.

That steady diet OF ground.up corn
cobs and sweet potato vines Is not
conducive TO an ideal physical condi-
tlon is attested by Miss Marie Rustin,
graduate nurse, well known in oregon,
who IS now in charge OF the Taylor
Memorial hospital, under the manage.
ment Of the American Presbyterian
mission at Paotingfu, China.
In a letter written by Miss Rustin
less than eight weeks ago to the mem.
bers OF the Sangrael Christian En-
! deavor society of the First Presbyter.
ian church in Portland, Miss Rustin
tells OF the appalling conditions
throughout North China, where 49,.
| 100000 men, women and children are
confronted with starvation and where
$4,000 are dying daily. Miss Rustin
has been at Paotingfu for about three
years and for many months } 'st, like
all other mission attaches and relief
workers in China, has been concentrate
ing all efforts on the task Of lessenlng
the suffering of the famine victims.
While Paotngfu is on the outskirts
| Oh tue great uIOulu-IulH'h Ah"ih' '''
trict, Just south Of Pekin, Miss Rustin
writes that even there all the missions
and relief stations are literally swamp.
ed with the applications Of many
| thousand men, women and children
who are halfclad In thin rags. weak
from undernourishment and struggling
desperately TO keep alive on roots,
bark or anything that offers susten
ance The situation In the heart OF
| the famine section, she says, is simply
beyond the imagination.
I'VE are doing all we can," writes
Miss Rustin here In our hospital try.
| ing 10 build up the weakened bodies
Of famine sufferers who come TO us
In frlghtfu condition We are getting
patients who have been trying TO live
on ground.up corn Cobs and sweet po'
| tnto vines. We have all been asked
10 give until Il hurts, and now that Il
has grown so cold we do not dare to
think OF freezing, starving thousands
right at our door. In going 10 soup
| kitchen where we feed go people
twice day. I was surrounded 80 by
the poor creatures that ! thought they
would crush the life out OF mo before
could get In and coming out II was
the same way. They are 40 hungry
and cold they are desperate. Person.
ally I have gone without 50 worth OF
milk month that I used 10 use, do
not eat butter at all and have only
eaten bread once a day for the last
three months, In order 20 give 70 the
famine poor. Through this personal
sacrifice have the Joy Of knowing that
three girls who might have been sold
have been saved from life Of shame
and misery and that one man will be
kept alive for five months.
"a friend sent me check the other
day and was able TO save a girl from
being sold and she will be put In
school. Things are being started to
help these pour souls. but there is a
long. hard pull until the harvest time.
You can all help by giving 10 the
China famine fund aud share In the
great opportunities OF saving life and
opening the way for Christianity, for
the Chinese people will surely be In
terestod IN what We have 20 tell them
OF the gospel II we are good 10 them
now la their great trouble"
State Manager J, j, iandsaker, In
charge OF the executive work for Ore
gon for the combined China Near
East campaign. 6OG Stock Exchange
building, Portland says the situation
Ia no less serious In the near east than
In China. aud liberal funds must be
raised for both causes II Wholesale
death by starvation Is to be- prevented,
or even lessened,