Hunan's Appeal for Help from the Surplus Peking, July 2s.
The Hunan Provincial Assembi; has addressed the following appeal to the Government, and the International Famine Relief and North China Famine Relief Committees "Hunan has scarcely recovered from the devastating effects of repeated military operations, In addition, we ave now actually under the throes of a wide-spread famine. The extent of suffering and_ the urgency of the need of relief are beyond description. We, the Provincial, Assembly, with the heavy responsibility entrusted to us by the people of Hunan, cannot witness starvation and deaths in silence without making an effort to save the situation: We have sent. ith other organizations, requesting that large sums may be remitted for relief work in this Province out of the amounts realized by the surcharge on State railways, telegraphs and other fares, and by the Maritime Customs surtax. These telegrams no doubt received your your sympathetic consideration.
"It is understood that the aforementioned surtax and surcharges were collected for the express purpose of giving relief to the famine areas. The burden of taxation was shared by the whole nation, of which Hunan is a part. Now that. the life work in the North has drawn. to a close, and there are known. to be considerable. sums left over, it is reasonable and proper. and the famine areas in Hunan 'y. that we should kindness of heart just a portion of the money available: and we ask that, for the sake of the poor famished women and_ children, you will consent to remit the sums represented above.
"We have utter confidence la your equitable treatment of the Hunanese, who paid their share in these surtaxes, as compared_with our Northern compatriots. Please remit directly to the Hunan Chinese Foreign Famine Relief Committee through the Asia Banking Corporation, Changsha branch."'—Reuter.
Wuicn Famine, Peking, July 30.
On the proposal of the Ministry of. Communications, the Cabinet to-day approved a set of regulations providing for reduced freights _om Government, railways for the transportation of grain for famine, relief and for the purchase of grain to be sold at cost by the Government to the famine sufferers.—Reuter, Tue Hamburg-America line is reported by a Japanese paper to be considering the opening of an Oriental service next February. It has ordered the construction of three passenger ships of 22.000 tons, of which two, it is said, will be put on the Oriental] line.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.