Show II I The Hunger Line in North China Churn I I II i By AN EYEWITNESS Following the first announcements of I I the growing distress have come reports from district after district greatly en enlarging en- en I I the proportions of oC the th disaster ster and correspondingly Increasing the magnitude mag mag- of oC relief operations The square miles mites In the first report soon Coon oon be became became be be- I I came and now has reached the huge figure of oC square miles as the tho extent of oC the famine Is brought to light Shansi which has been sought as a refUge refuge ref ref- uge by thousands in chill hili Is now in the grip of oC Starvation conditions and the in Influx In In- flux of oC people from Crom the neighboring pronce pro Ince nce is aggravating the situation instead of oC affording relief The following report I of or missionary interests thoroughly in I touch with conditions shows the task In this cradle of Chinese civilization we are not strong on anniversaries But II I today marks a new one which cannot be overlooked A year eAr ago today we had our last rain All the s splatters of oC it I which have ha fallen Callen in the th last laRt U twelve months aggregate total 1 a of oC less than three inches And now for tor two weeks past we have stood knowing the startling 1 fact that bare gaunt famine stares millions mil mu- lions of or p people ople in inthe the face ace I LAST HOPE GONE Last spring the wheat and an barley ex except ex- ex in a few cases of or irr irrigated land nat dried up and disappeared But the ever hopeful people were not overmuch discouraged This Is ia a countr country of or two I crops per season and good rains in or even July assure an autumn une U millet sorghum maize and beans crop cron of ot I Alas the periodic rains for or which we we always s look in midsummer have U utterly for Cor forthe the first time within failed failed- living Jiving The last memory fading hope a a. crop of oC quick-maturing quick was that at lea least t might be secured secured after after aCter a late late- buckwheat j rain But no rain has come and that hope hope- is i. i now HOT n Ir U I I I I I I I I II I I 1 1 I J II I entirely e go gone e. e The 1 result Is that z o of their desperate position a reali reali- swept wept s over the has nib people with startling sud sud- denness Already fodder for animals given out in many places has I and cows mules etc are being donkeys tenth one of ot their offered for drive normal normil value Yalu To them for Cor i or south miles to the of the Yellow river than one fifth of results in less their cured a as the markets value big being se se- se seI I with thousands of ot there are glutted I in from every ver northern animals road load being driven i j I MELANCHOLY STREAMS But worse Wan titan Inability to retain animals is the fact that their whole ties are practically hausted all their foodless having exI ex ox- grain months since the last In the long crop was I Thousands are fleeing gathered Shansi westward towards province i which with reports I the credit swarms with prospect the of ot a crop Every Ever road I pinched hunger-pinched humanity melancholy streams ot or of I Pekin I allowing refugees railway is gorier genei- all to travel southbound tree free on j trains and to South I and Honan these I block a-block with families are crowded chocKablock chocK chocK- children o- o old people having many little iitti the trek over who cannot face mountain and roads to Shansi HUNGER KNOWS NO LAWS But som some of the Western borders authorities along our are their regions should be not willing that gees gecs from here and arid overrun by refu refu- were sent to try to recently soldiers P passes against hold the mountain the not unnatural r oncoming hordes The result ing refugees temporarily was that the back blocked upon the flooded tho the mountains and villages looted on this side or tp to satisfy their right and left hunger I J d a o U ti g and h hU r brigandage ring Ing ing g right to our doors The are corn com quarrels of or the he militarists In the north have drawn draw awa away the troops usually stationed hei here beta and in surrounding towns with the r re- re suit that desperate and lawless men ai are terrorizing the country FIVE MILLION PEOPLE INVOLVED How severe the crisis coming upon t us Is going to be bo one cannot yet say What Is certain is that more than square miles of 01 territory and of or people are involved and even if IC hundreds 01 thousands are able to flee lee it will n not 0 make region a very perceptible difference ce in so densely populated The bu bulof bulk of oC the people must perforce pet remain ar and face the he the ev evitable liable Inevitable And what that li Inevitable In- In n will mean as winter falls up upon people leaves already subsisting upon roots ar and and chaff enact ono does think not like liko i to Chinese Christian i leaders are arc organIzIng ing to do their share 1300 miles by buying gra grain south of or here and bringing Jt in for sale at cost white willits commendable price But this effo t will 1 t Ke fringe Cringe of oC the d distress stress scarcely which darken tou touch d down own upon these unfortunates c COPS closes In In as winter winte |