THE FAMINE IN CHINA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13421, 25 February 1907, Page 5

THE FAMINE IN CHINA.

FIVE MILLION LIVES IN

DANGER.

By Telegraph.—Press Association.—Copyright.

Shanghai, February 22. Captain Kirton, the representative of the Foreign Famine Committee at Shanghai, has informed the Viceroy that the famine is the outcome of the neglect of public works and drainage.

Ten million people are faminestricken and of these half are doomed unless energetic measures arc adopted to give them relief.

In a report that lie made in January Captain Kirton said that, to the horrors of famine had been added an outbreak of smallpox among the refugees at Singkaing, necessitating the demolition of the mat sheds erected to shelter the thousands who had arrived there in search of food. Captain Kirtotl also reported that 300,000 destitute persons had been driven back toward theii homes, and terrible .scenes were being enacted along the lino of retreat. Ho estimated that a-quarter of a million persons are likely to Ije doomed at Singkiang alone, and 400,000 at Antung, where small relief works had been started. The distress, lie said, was largely din* to the lack of means of communication. The dykes being dilapidated, renewed rains were certain to cause fresh floods. Every house in the neighbourhood of Antung visited by Captain Kirton contained ladies or dying persons. The Relief Committee, which had 150,000 taels at its disposal, had instituted relief work under foreign supervision. Another authority, Mr. Boatwick, of Shanghai, reported in .January that, the district in which millions of people arc .suffering is bounded on the south by a lino drawn from the sea through Human and along the Huai [liver in North Anhui, on the west by « line drawn from Ochu to Kweiteh, on the north from the east corner of Hon an to the sea. which bounds the eastern side. The worst conditions would, he said, be experienced after the Chinese New Year, in midFebruary. The population affected he estimated at 10,000,000. of which Viceroy Tuan Fang said that 4,000,000 were then in actual want, mostly starving. Mr. Bostwick, who was sent from Shanghai to investigate, said that ail these people must perish from starvation unless fed by the (Government or public charity. He estimated th** dailv expenditures to feed 4,000,000 at £4000, while the period of relief must be extended over some months. With tens of thousands of starving huddled in walled cities it was feared that epidemics would add to the horrors of famine.