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Show THE GREAT FAMINE IN CHINA. - - ., , The China Famine Relief committee co-operating with the American Red Cross has issued the following statement: Three millions of people in Central China are on the verge of starvation. Last summer the worst floods in forty years destroyed the crops in an area of 50,000 square miles. Many have already died of hunger and unless prompt relief is given, multitudes of men, women and children must perish. "' During the last few weeks the political and military news frr China has absorbed the attention and interest of the world to the exclusion of the needs of the hungry millions. tNo harvest can be expected until May. Until then the famine will be growing daily more acute. The people to be relieved are chiefly hard-working and honest farmers. There is a strong famine relief committee in Shanghai composed com-posed of both foreigners and Chinese of all faiths. Bishop Graves, of the Episcopal church, is chairman; Dr. "Wu Ting Fang, former minister to the United States, vice-chairman; Rev. E. C. Loben-stine, Loben-stine, of the Presbyterian church, secretary, and Mr. IL C. Gulland, manager International Banking corporation, treasurer. This committee com-mittee will employ as many as possible of! those able to labor in building dikes and in such other work as will help to prevent the recurrence of flood and famine. This work is in line with the recommendations rec-ommendations of Mr. C D. Jameson, an engineer sent to China by the American Red Croi?s. All labor is to be paid for in grain, and not in money. As president of the American Red Cross, President Taft has issueda proclamation asking the peopie of the United States to help the "people of China. He has joined with other officers of the Red Cross in requesting this citizens' committee to make known the facts.rTh.e ChineseTgovernment and people are doing what they can to relieve the situation, but they can meet only a fraction of the need. This is one of the greatest famines of modern times. Six hundred hun-dred thousand families are without food or means of support. Fifteen Fif-teen dollars will save a whole family from ' starvation. Fifteen hundred dollars will save one hundred families. Fifteen thousand dollars will provide for one thousand families. Hundreds of thousands thous-ands of lives can thus be saved if sufficiently prompt and generous contributions are made. |