Evening star., 1928-12-24
100000 IN WALES
FACE STARVATION
British Government Acts to
Avert Suffering in DeCa-
dent Mining Area.
BY Cable Dispatch to TIE Star and the Chi
cago Daily News.

BY Cable Dispatch to TIE Star and the Chi
cago Daily News.
CARDIFF, Wales, December "a
Two hundred and sixty thousand men
are out of work and a population of
roughly 100000 people are suffering
SO badly that starvation is in sight in
the coal fields in South Wales.
The distress is unparalleled within
the memory of any living person, ac-
cording to comment.
The Prince of Wales is scheduled
according to the British government, to
broadcast Christmas eve appeal to
the entire country to support the Lord
Mayors fund for relief fund.
The British government has an
nounced it will give pound for pound to
this fund. 1t is probably the only ex-
ample in all English history where an
important section of the country, de-
pending for its existence on once
prosperous industry, will have to live
through the Winter on charity.
In the town of. Merthyr Tydvil, the
writer saw hungry children, all but
barefoot in the icy slush. This center
was once a f1ourishing mining town.
Now it has the peculiar quality of
town not yet dead, but waiting to die.
80 Per Cent Are Jobless.
In Merthyr Tydvil the adult male
population is about 10000. Eighty per
cent of them are entirely out of work,
and the rest are working only in
snatches. What is more, those unem-
ployed have been out of work for one,
two, three, four and even five years.
It is not because of a strike or any
union trouble. 1t is because the whole
industry has collapsed.
1t is said that even if the British coal
industry could miraculously be revived
to its status of 1914, there would still
be 260,0 900 men who could never be
reabsorbed in the industry.
The writer saw children who had not
seen an egg, butter, green vegetables
or bit of fresh meat for over two
years.
They are all pale, wan and pinched
looking. There is no fire in their homes,
no light. Most of the houses are decent
ly built of rough stone. These are not
slum folk They are proud people, who
have lived in these Welsh hills for
three and four generations.
Now they have no underclothing. In
most of the homes there are no bed
clothes.
they stand around. They won't talk;
won't complain.
One man said: For four and a half
years have been looking for job. Not
finding one, I have become a little
bitter"
That Is an extreme view. They still
love their country.
There are 1000 children supported
entirely by charity.
Nations Help Is Needed.
Much has been sent to help them,
in money, clothes, food and other goods.
But the number is so tremendous, their
wants so staggering, that the help of
the whole population of Britain is
needed. In other sections the same
troubles are threatening, if not in
actual force.
The lord mayors fund has reached
over 81 100000 and the government will
give a like amount, no matter how
much 1t comes to.
Many wealthy British families. and
some not SO wealthy, are adopting en-
tire Welsh families in an attempt to
help out.
But the fact remains that 250.0O0
men can never find work in the Brit
ish coal mines again.
The present help is only a drop in
the bucket. The government has done
comparatively little to help as yet.