Nanking, Mar. 19, At least three-fifths of the Szechuen populace are on the verge of starvalon as the most serious famine of the century spreads through the province, according to an alarming report published in the Tientsin "Yih Shih Pao" from its correspondent in Chengtu.
According to the paper, a recent survey of the Szechuen Famine Relief [Commission stated that 30,000,000 people in an area of 36,600,000 square of the total 4,500,000 square li of the province are now affected, The fat nine has become so serious, the report continued, that barks and grass were the only food of many Sufferers. Stealing food is almost 2 dally occurrence. Often in. these riots the casualties ran to several score.
Everything within its power is being done by the Szechuen Provvineial Government to relieve the sufferings of the people, and a loan of $1,600,000 is being sought of the bankers for the purchase of 120,000 piculs of rice from Wuhu for free distribution. Already $400,000 has been expended.
In a recent petition to the Central Government, Gen. Liu Hsiang, Chairman of Szechuen, asked for $5,000,000 emergency relief fund for famine sufferers—Central News,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.