Oct. 4
Srens are still wanting that the Government has produced, or is likely to produce, any practical, comprehensive scheme for relief of the millions who are being stricken by famine. The explana. tion of this masterly inactivity is perhaps not difficult to reach. Under any system of Government with the most remote claim to administrative competence, Peking would long since have received from officials im the areas affected certain indications that famine might possibly arise. Within the past month or s0, these indications would almost certainly have foretold pending disaster. The tragedy of the northern harvest's failure is not a phenomenon arising over night. The Government may have been fully advised, ill-advised, or not advised at all. The fact remains, that Peking faces the problem of an empty cupboard—not for the first time—with no more resourcefulness than Mother Hubbard. Tt has no policy, no plan for constructive relief, and so far its activity has produced nothing but an appeal disguised as a Mandate expressing the hope that Somebody will do Something. The funds it proposes to raise ure ridiculously inadequate, and even so are in part ingeniously anticipated from the foreign purse through the medium of the taxes. Unfortunately, such impotence in the face of a great administrative problem was only to be expected from leaders whose conception of leadership does not seem to rise beyond personal and party futilities. The Government was not randy for the emergency, and appears perilously inclined to let the emergency take care of itself. Whilst the foreign comniunities will contribute liberally in funds and service towards the relief of the. coming winter's distress in the. North, they look to the Government to show some real grasp Of the situation and determination to deal with it effectually. Adequate funds must be raised and relief works on road and railway immediately organized. The tragedy of the situation is that in spite of past experience the Government finds itself with no better machinery for dealing with the situation than that which must be hastily improvised.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.