ITH disease unchecked, water-courses dried up, and starvation facing the rural population, thousands are dying in Szechuen, according to a letter sent by a foreign worker. who has been attempting to combat the terrific death-roll that natural calamities have claimed in that province during the past yea Children have suffered perhaps worse than any. When-everybody is starving, it is difficult to pick out the most pitiable cases; but it can be understood that the youngsters were the first' to feel the pinch, Mother-love will give the children everything there is to give; but when there is nothing, then the primitive instincts of humanity prevail, an the life-saving fragments go to those who are strong enough to wrest them from. their. fellows.
Amid chaos and privation such as this, foreign missionaries and Chinese officials have been striving to bring some relief.
Their efforts, with insufficient funds, ha sve been heart-breaking, but much has been done to save many mer women, and children from the most ghastly of deaths.
Recent news from Szechuen says that rains have fallen in some of the worst afflicted districts, but these yams ar hardly in time to save the traps already destroyed by drought in some parts, and floods in others.
For the first time In many months the "North-China Herald" is able to present an authoritative Account of the conditions existing before the extent of the disaster was Known In these parts. The account stys—
'a nasty gash, She Is now being cared for in hospital, Daily we see folk thus over-burdened trying to carry-on.
Dye tom Picture people so desperate for something to fill out collapsing bellies that they'll risk Ife and" limb to get China clay to dry and grind with Wheat to make more bulk, then when meal gives out, make cakes of the lay alone, steamed In a wrapping of Teaves; imagine If you.can the condition of these folk when they reach the famine camps, all possessions ex-opt the few rags they wear sold or pawned; wasted and weary, glad to get a bit of straw or even bare boards to throw themselves down and rest, and thankful for the pittance of rice gruel that fs about half what a normal person would need as a minimum to keep 'At for work. Some of these have digestion seriously handicapped from the things they have been try-Ing to digest. Emaciated babies tug' "atemply breasts, Children look as: though they had' never smiled nor: might ever again, "Visualize these things and let your imagination have play, and you'll begin to have a faint dea' of what ts happening. to hundreds of thousands of good middle, class people, who have hitherto never Known a complete failure of their crops, but have now seen failure of autumn plantings followed by failure of spring seedings, and have no water in the tice fields where they have; always looked for their major crops.
Thousands in Desperate Plight Quite carly in the spring it was a common sight in travelling to groups of these folk moving from places where waler had failed. Thou. sands of them demonstrated in-varlus places to call attention to their @esperate plight. Here they would throng the streets, knocking at doors and pounding at gates, asking to enter and dig up roots of the banana which grows but, does not fruit. in this ¢limate. This root has a slight food value-but is not commonly used. Local subscriptions were taken up and many responded generously, but Supplies are not adequate, Camps are established where old people and children under twelve may be cared for.
'A. fow weeks ago, at a place nine miles from Junghslen, Szechuen, there was a cave-in where folk were tunneling ina. hill side for China clay for food, killing eight and badly Injuring others, Millions of bushels of rice are com-Ing into the province from down river, A couple of truck loads start. Ing Inland from a point on the river about fitly miles from here, were intereepted by starving people, some of whom threw themselves down in the rond while others appropriated the lee.
Investigators for the local relief committee report having found several families with nothing to eat except cakes of ground-up China clay steamed In wrappings of leaves! Some make a business of searching out ant nests and cooking the ants In brick form for food, 'Tree roots, sil worm pupa, grass roots, bark fof trees, leaves of trees, roadside weeds, bulbous roots' of' mountain Ulles, all are eagerly sought after. Even ice hulls are steamed and cooked, This district produces a great deal of coal and during this depression even more than. at.other times, people of all sorts and kinds seek a livelihood carrying coal from the mines. As I write this comes word that an old woman carry ing a load beyond her strength collapsed on the street, giving her head 'Anyone who has read to this point will want to know. what If anything being done to relieve distress, T will briefly describe what we are attempting locally, 'Tons of thousands of the more able bodied mien, women and older children are' employed in this dié- trict in much needed government road building, which authorities are Speeding at this time both to give employment and to facilitate portation. These workers get no more than enough to keep them fit for their work. The question naturally arises, "What of nursing mothers, small children, older folk and others who cannot be employed in road making?"
Local authorities are accommodate ing in camps, needy children and old folk, but are up against a problem of sanitation that they have no idea how meet. In a camp of over 400 we found two tubs, no wash basins, and one towel washcloth for every ten people! Eye trouble and skin disease Were ofi the increase at a rapid rate. Very few had any change of clothing and clothes were in rags. Smallpox aces were mingling with other folk everywhere,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.