The Ocala Evening Star

THE FAMINE IN INDIA

We must not consider that the English mind is utterly occupied with the South African war, important as they may be from a political point of view. The British government is putting forth stupendous efforts to save the lives of the people of India. We can form but slight idea of the task on hand. Says the New York Tribune:

"In the old days, before British rule was set up in India, the problem would have been much more easily solved than now. The people would have been permitted to die like so many flies in a frost. That was what used to happen periodically under native rule. Thus, in the famine of 1769, fully three million people perished, and that was by no means a record-breaking famine. But the let-alone policy is not approved by the present government. It is considered now a reproach to the rulers of India that any of its people should die of famine, and so whenever unfavorable weather makes food scarce, and the inhabitants begin to starve, the treasury is opened for their relief, at risk of a deficit in the next budget. It is, however, not the policy of the government to give alms. Instead it undertakes vast public works, and thus gives the famine-stricken people employment at fair wages and enables them to buy food. Obviously that is the better way, for it does not pauperize the people, and it gives the government some return for its money—generally a return which in itself is calculated to diminish future dangers of famine. Road building and canal building are the staple occupations in famine years. Tens of thousands of miles of fine roads have been constructed as relief works. So far as possible, these are metaled, and thus made permanent. But if metal be not available, the roads are still built in temporary form, on the principle that even half useless work is better than alms. Even better than roads are the canals, perhaps the greatest material blessings that have been bestowed upon India. A few years ago the whole vast region between Ravi and the Chenab rivers, from Lahore to Multan, was a desert, the few wretched inhabitants of which maintained a precarious existence by feeding upon rats, insects and offal. Today its large population is prosperous among some of the finest wheat fields in the world. The change has been effected by the construction of canals for irrigation. And what has been done there has been done in a hundred other districts. Within the last three months the Indian government has spent more than $10,000,000 upon relief works, and will doubtless have to spend millions more before the famine is past. Despite that, many natives are perishing, but that is through their own fault or folly. Work at living wages is offered to all. But there are those who refuse it, and, with the blind fatalism of their race, lie down in the dust and die. To combat and overcome that spirit is by no means the least part of the white man's burden which is borne by the rulers of India. When famine came to our fathers they died. How are we better than they that we should not do likewise?' So says the ryot in his blindness. But even he is learning, little by little. At worst he is now passive, not violently resistant to progress, while at best he appreciates the value of civilization and actually puts himself in line with it."