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Show THOUSANDS DIE FROM STARVATION HELPLESS PEOPLE IN MOUNTAINS MOUN-TAINS IN SYRIA DENIED SUCCOR. SUC-COR. ARE PERISHING. Refusal of Germany to Allow Safe Passage of Relief Ships Was The Death Sentence of Thousands of Syrians. New York. A thousand deaths a day from starvation out of a population popu-lation of 350,000 in the Lebanon mountains moun-tains near Beirut, Syria, is the toll of famine conditions there resulting from the war, it was declared here Sunday by the Rev. William H. Hall of the Syrian Protestant college, who recently recent-ly returned to this country from relief work in that district. Continuing Mr. Hall described the tragic disappointment of the people there, whose spirits were kept up for weeks by the promised arrived last Christmas time of the American relief ship Caesar, which would have meant life to thousands, but which never arrived owing to the refusal of Germany Ger-many and Austria-Hungary to grant her safe passage to Beirut. The Caesar, a naval collier loaned to the Red Cross by the navy department, depart-ment, left New York months before the entry of this country into the war, as a "Christmas ship" for the needy in Syria, carrying more than a quarter of a million dollars' worth of food and clothing contributed in this country. "Day after day the poor, starving people along the coast and through the mountains looked and prayed for the coming of the 'American ship,' Mr. Hall said. "The country was canvassed canvass-ed by well organized committees, the needy were listed, the work of distribution distribu-tion was thoroughly prepared, offices were opened and men chosen to direct the distribution. The people waited. Their hopes were raised high. "Week followed week and month followed fol-lowed month in suspense the people daily looked out to sea for her, but the ship which meant life and hope to thousands never appeared. She was held by 'military necessity' while the people starved." The city of Beirut is as sorely afflicted af-flicted as the mountain districts, Mr. Hall went on, and day or night one hears the cry along the streets, "I am hungry give me bread." This is not from beggars, but from laborers and tradesmen, people who have known the comforts of life. |