The mercury has been playing pranks these last few days, We have seen it touch 90 almost, in a sheltered position and within a day or two hover around the 40's. But rain has fallen, and the clouds that hang over us seem to indicate Still there's more to follow."
In the early days of the Chinese year it was noticeable that money was much in evidence, and everywhere around, hawkers of little dainties seemed to have patrons and one was inclined to ask, Where is the Famine?
The two extremes of riches and poverty are to be found here at present in very striking contrast. But if Shansi jingles cash at a New Year holidays, Shansi does not flaunt her poverty in the same way as the migratory hordes of Shantung and Honan do.
Like those gentlefolk ''in reduced circumstances" who starve in back parlours in suburbia the Shansi famine sufferer tries to "keep up appearances" to the end, and offers no spectacular demonstration of his or her poverty like the unkempt, regard outsider who begs as to the manner born.
And so it is that the villages are full of people who are eating leaves and bark roots and refuse, which may be all very well for a day er. two at a pinch but must in present circumstances go on for several weeks yet, in fact until an autumn crop ig reaped in July.
People at the coast exclaim "We are sick and tired of China's famines. So are the famine-stricken, very, very sick of it. But talking of remedies does not meet the need of to-day.
The officials in reckoning the "extreme poor" and " the needy" arrive at such overwhelming figures that relief to prevent suffering has to be put aside as impossible and only help given to those who otherwise would starve. Hence local relief is being given only to the destitute, people who have but the clothes they stand in, fand can boast of no other belongings than an earthenware crock and chopsticks.
The International Famine Relief Commission are hoping to make it possible to make one distribution of grain in 22_ hsiens about June thus hoping to tide over the gap between the end of the local public relief and the autumn harvest. A little thought will show that this by no means solves all the problems. There are farms and dwellings to be redeemed, winter clothing to be procured, seed for sowing to be found, cattle to be procured, and employment for the winter, and many other big
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.