The Evening Star SATURDAY, MARCH 17, 1906.

Evening Star, Issue 12764, 17 March 1906, Page 6

The Evening Star SATURDAY, MARCH 17, 1906.

Some weeks ago, wheal the first serious •news of the famine ia Japan The Japanese reached this part of the Famine. world, subscription* ljsts were promptly opened with a view to furrmhing material aid to the suffering allies of the, British Empire. The movement was arrested, however," by official intimation, that the; djsagter wasj lesj widespread than had bean arid that external aseistance was cpnaeqneiitly "unnecessary. It now turns out 1 that\. the earlier statemenitj? represented the truth of the ioatt«i., or a* :Uje truti as it) Rgwj

is The Premier has just reoedved wtml that the fa-mine affects a larger area than had been supposed, and tha> aid in the form of money or food supplies will be gladly accepted by the Japanese Government. The High for New Zealand also announces that the Lord Mayor of London has opened a fund at the Mansion House. I u these tircomstances it may be taken fqr granted that the previously abandoned project ipll be speedily renewed, and that a contribution ttorthy <M the generous imjifngts of the people of this Colony will be" forwarded to the. afflicted ddsta&te/- Mr Sedden notifies that the Government will be pleased'to/-under-take the transmission of donations in any suitable form; and, while monetary gifts i«U of course be welcome, it seems to lis iiat offerings in the shape of direct food supplies would be specially appropriate and convenient It will not be. surprising -if the idea is readily adopted by our farmers and merchants. An excellent example in ibis respect has been set by Mr Samuel Hordern, the weU-lcnown Sydney merchant who a week or twq ago'presented 5,000 bags of the best Australian flour for distribution in the famine-stricken districts. Mr Hordern cabled direct to the Prime Minister of Japan at Tpkip, and received a prompt reply from the Minister of Foreign Affairs expressing glad acceptance and cordial thanks. The generous donor spoke as follows to a representative of the Sydney ' Daily Telegraph' :

When. I took this matter up I felt that we as Australians were morally bound to come to the hid of a suffering people. One can scarcely realise how much the Japanese have done for Australia, seeing' that they have crushed the Russian power; and, again, we- never knew when the people of this country would be called upon to meet r.eaw" expenditure m preparation for its defence against Russia. The chivalry displayed by . the Japanese in all their actions with their opponents has demonstrated a trait in the national character which cannot but evoke admiration for the race.

These reasons are sufficiently cogent, but it is possible that a portion of the oomrmtnrty may not be impressed by the political considerations mentioned by Mr Hordern, and may prefer to. base their liberality on primary grounds of cosmopolitan humanity. It matters not, so long as the liberality is manifested. We are sure that the opportunity of relieving a brave nation, whose valor and virtues have been the talk of the world during the last twoyears, will not be neglected.