Evening star., 1928-12-29

cultieS of transportation across the
ocean in great steamships or over ICY
trackleSS mountains upon human car
riers. 1t can't be done! Those millions
OF Chinese victims are doomed. Civili-
zation with all its modern methods has
failed-has broken down!
AS many will die from starvation this
winter as the total of our great armies
OF 1913 abroad and at home. A mis-
sionary's estimate is that from five mil
lions to seven millions will starve tC
death before Spring.
\ X y y
What causes such repeated tragedies
In China? This Is how an American
missionary. Rev. w. w. Simpson of
KanSu, answers that question when he
writes to our Department of State:
l. War between the government and
some rebellious tribes in 1925 wasted
food supplies and hindered production.
2. Large increase of armies Of the
government to defeat rebels of North
China took young men from the farms
OF Kansu. (Kansu is located Just south
OF Mongolia, near the center of China.)
3. General resumption of opium
growing in place Of cereals reduced food
production. This was not due to the
norance Of the. farmers, but was
forced onto them by militaristic rulers,
who then extorted taxes on the opium,
wnlch they could not have collected
from food supplies. The poppies re-
quired the richest of the soil.
4. Rebellion of some Mohammedan
generals and their armies, with the
fanatic support of Moslem civilians,
who form large percentage Of the pop
ulat1on OF KanSu, devastated large dis
trlcts OF the province, preventing har-
veSting of grain that had been Sowed,
and also consumed food reserves. This
rebellion and its massacre of hundreds
OF thousands of non-Moslem Chinese
caused the Chinese government to send
large forces into KanSu to restore order
and these patriotic armies also con-
sumed food reserves without conlpensa-
tlon-aS Is the Chinese custom. They
require food for the armies whether any
is LETT over for the civilians or not
PEOPLE OF the city of Hochow, beSieged
ana without crops, had to contribute
SIX thousand pounds of -four daily to
the defenders Of the city.
D. Nearly million, driven from their
homes by the rebellion or unable to pay
tn mllltary taxes, wandered in search
OF food and shelter or in desperation
joined bands in pillaging villages and
even walled cities.
6. Extortionate military taxes dis
neartened producers. who found no in
centlve to work when they might profit
better In loafing, begging and stealing.
z. InceSSant wars. with utter stag
nation of business. raised prices of cot
ton cloth, so that people became rag
ged and half clothed. while children
roamed the streets naked. Now the
temperature Is around zero, with mil
lions OF people exposed to freezing.
8. Drought added the climax OF the
calamity. In vast areas there has not
been enough rainfall in more than a
year Tor the water to drip from the
caves. Seed rotted in the ground or
sprouted and blistered in the broiling
sun.
ut can't be done-but here it Is"
was the motto Of the American Navy
during the war. The missionary also
adopts that motto in his frantic ap-
peal. Maybe he is impractical. Maybe
he is spending other peoples resources
In his vision. He asks that the manu-
facturers OF motor trucks contribute
trucks TO total capacity, of actually
hauling ten thousand tons seven
hundred miles q day, after full al
lowance of surplus capacity for trucks
out OF action. He calls upon the
oil companies to contribute enough
OF idle and starving to build roads for
trucks, In Midwinter, and keep them
open, and to employ two million chauf-
feurs for the next six months.
y y = \
Is humanity capable of meeting such
an awful crisis2 The forces Of fanati-
cism are sweeping their way across
KanSu and In one massacre slaughtered
two hundred thousand Chinese victims.
The Chinese civilians are unarmed;
the Mohammedans are largely soldiers
trained and armed, and supplied with
munitions. Their leaders are seeking
power and loot. They give no quarter.
War. pestilence and famine and zero
storms are doing their deadly work.
And this Is the story Of the earth
at the close Of Ammo Domini 1928.
1t Is a deadly parallel"
THE rich and the poor meet togeth-
er, the Lord Is the Maker of them !.
all" =