Show BANDITRY LOOMS IN FAMINE AREA V H Honan Province China May lUP Frightful famine conditions brought millions of Chinese Chinese Chi Chi- Chi Chi- nese nese peasants today to a choice be be be- tween banditry and stoical waiting for tor death from starvation In some sections of Honan anc and Szechwan provinces a single handful handful handful hand hand- ful of grain has become a grea great luxury for emaciated peasants Men and women attempting t to work the tile wheat fields drop from tram hunger The central governments government's promIses prom prom- Isca of relief have not been fulfilled ful fulfilled ful- ful filled and men and women employed employed employed em em- in an irrigation enterprise near abandoned it because because be be- e cause they were not paid enough to sustain strength Money has become so scarce prices of foodstuffs so high am and business so bad the inhabitants inhabitant have stopped trying to find work Dismayed and despondent farmers farmers farm farm- ers exclaim lets Jets abandon worland work worl and try to save enough strength to keep alive until harvest time W We Ve might as well die sleeping as work work- ing More desperate peasants declare If It nature denies us a living le leus let letus letus us become bandits and take what wha we need The frightful need of ot the people has caused them to strip trees o otheir ot of their bark and devour cats dogs rats and even worms Straw weeds weed and sawdust have become foodstuffs foodstuffs foodstuffs food food- stuffs to a a. people whose plight ht i is described by Canadian and American Amen Ameri- can can missionaries missionaries' as tragic beyond belief Efforts to distribute food anc and money have become almost impractical and dangerous because of ot the rush of hunger maddened throngs Armies of police arc required to 10 prevent rioting |