THE FAMINE IN JAPAN.

Colonist, Volume XLVIII, Issue 11554, 15 February 1906, Page 4

THE FAMINE IN JAPAN.

With regard tr the famine in Jagaj-t. it is Btated by those who appeal lor help that in a population of 859,279 at lea3t 280.000 are in extreme distress, and will die unless assisted. In the Iwate province over 100,000 are in urgent need of speedy and prolonged aid, and in Fukushima 300.000 are on the verge of absolute poverty. Failure of the rice orop is the cp" dire distrosr In **' -,*■«« IRW than 1° _, .ruiyaji the yield is less _„ «•<* eeat o( the average . in Fuku--gRISa ii U dnly 13 pat* 08ri. * add ih Iwdte drily ; i(ji. Br Sell*. ''A'rgadjr tiiotisands in tbSae th.Kg provihce'sj" says an appeal, are fednced to shrub roots and tbe bark of trees, by which meta life may foi 1 a timS be sii3iained; but th the lttit caloiilatldn 686,000 pe-tjile ate n<.w facing extreme conditions. - What tnte nieans for # weir poor.wom.n and ohildren. we who live in the 'centre d the on-coming m-sery findjUo WJrds to d»sorib<" The " ,J'pan Mail " : hts bp.en showij a sample, of the food on 1 ' wbicli the ; starving people aie sustaining lfd. liia in the form of round b;iquette3 1 ' consisting of 75 per oent of chopped sti^w and 25 percent of foreign rice, "That human beings Bhould have to subsist upon suoh fare is shocking, ahd soon even this resource will fail." Foreign assistance is now asked, although at first it was refused.