New Britain Herald Newspaper, October 22, 1917, Page 5

P2 # ™ FAMINE IN SYRIA A SERIOUS AFFAIR b | Thousandml)eaths a Day Is the Havoc Wrought New York, October 22—A thousand deaths a day from starvation out of a population of 350,000 in the Lebanon Mountdins near Beirut, Syria, is the toll of famine conditions there result- ing from the war, it was declared here today by the Rev. William H. Hall, of the Syrian Protestant College, who recently returned to this country from relief work in that district. Continuing Mr. Hall described the tragic disappointment of the people there, whose spirits werc kept up for . weeks by the promised arrival last Christmas time of the American re- lief ship Caesar, which would have meant life to thousands, but which never arrived owing to the refusal of Germany and Austria-Hungary grant her safe passage to Beirut. The Caesar, a naval collier loaned to the Red Cross by the Navy 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 quar- ter of a million dollars worth of food and clothing contributed in this coun- try. “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 can- vassed by well organized committees, the needy were listed the work of dis- tribution was thoroughly prepared, of- fices were opened and men chosen to direct the distribution. The people waited. Their hopes were raised high. “Week followed week and month followed month—in suspense the peo- ple daily looked out to sea fcr her—- but the ship which meant life and hope to thousands never appe- red. She was held by ‘military necessity’ while the people starved. | * God has forgotten us!" was heard again and again as hopeless and hun- gry they stood face to face with death by starvation. “If the Caesar had arrived it would have meant that other ships would follow, but her failure to come dashed all hope for relief. Her cargo was 80ld and the funds finally found their way to Beirut for the purchase and distribution of food there, but there ‘was little food to be bought. “We know for a fact that thousands of our “riends there will die this win- ter, despite the great good than can be accomplished by sending funds from America to buy what food can be obtained on the ground for distri- but in an cffort to save as many as possible.” The city of Teirut is as sorely af- flicted as the mountain districts, Mr. Hall went on, and day or night one hears the.cry along reets “I am Hungry-—give me bread This is not from beggars but from laborers and tradesmen, people who have known the comforts of life. f “In Jerusalem”, he continued, “one cannot pass along a strect without be- ing beset for prayers for aid. There are mothers with babes pulling at their barren breasts and children whose parents have succumbed and left them to face starvation alone. “Syria. and Palestine have no story of massacre or deportation, but these districts, once prosperous and self- supporting, are now caught in the world strife, and the people are slow ly but surely starving to death through po fault of their own. Figures appall one-—competent authoritizs assert that no less than 1,200,000 persons are to- day in dire distress in these historic Binle Lands. “Of this number at least 75,000 are children below the age or 12—boys and girls and little children with no older person to provide the food with- out which they will perish, or to soothe the last hours when hunger will have overcome the forces of nature and the hour has come for them to face the great cternal without father or mother near.” A plague of locusts: the denuding of the flelds of men for the armies: the blockade of the coast; the lack of tourists and the breakdown of trans- paortation are given by Mr., Hall as the reasons for the failure of food and prosperity in these lands ‘‘which hoasted they never could suffer P a2 to - 8§50 rich was their produc- | tamine,” But particularly were con- tivity. ! plies by Turkish officials and friends, he said. “Some men In high positions hold- ing the food of the country in their hands, have gambled with death and won,” Mr. Hall said. “The people have dled while they stored away one knows not what fortunes in gold. The Ottoman government, he sald, has done something in relief measures in opening hospices for children and distributing food, . but such help has reached only a few thousands, while the work of the American Red Cross at Beirut was stopped by the breaking aft of diplomatic relations between this country and Turkey. “But relief money can vet be sent "to buy ana distribute food, as there are still enough American mission- aries remaining in the country to attend to it,” he added. ‘‘The whole | people cannot be saved but a good | number can be, and even a remnant is worth saving. Theirs is a land which historically has a claim upon the charity of the world, but its chief claim now is not historical it is human. We are in a war to lib- erate humanity. It is on this ground that Syria appeals toithe world. “The funds collected in this coun- try by the American committee for Armenian and Syrian relief are being disbursed through these American missionaries and teachers aof the American college in Beirut. Even though hundreds die for lack of food, because money cannot buy enough there to go round, great good can be done, if funds are forthcoming from this country generously enough. ‘At least one fourth of the popula- tion of the Lebanon Mountains has already perished from hunger and diseases directly caused thereby. The story which must be written when this present winter is over will be cven more terrible to read, unless im- mediate help is provided.” Mr. Hall graduated from Union col- lege in 1896 and McCormick Theolo- gical Seminary in 1902, in which . vear he was ordanined a Presbyterian minister. His home is in Kalamazoo, Mich. OENATOR DENIES FIGHTING SALE |La Follette Franked Out Tax: Bil Speeches for Higher Proits ‘Washlngton, Oct. 22.—Senator La- Follette of Wisconsin, who is await- ing further developments in the in. vestigation of the Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections into his alleged seditious utterances, has is- sued a ‘“‘statement to the press’ de- fending his action in circulating throughout the: country, -under BOV- ernment frank, pamphlets with a re- print of attacks he made during the ;t;]x;ate debate on the War Revenue The Wisconsin senator denies that he spread these pamphlets over the country to hurt the sale of the Lib- erty Loan bonds. His intent, he says, was to inaugurate a campaign for higher taxation or wealth in tax meas. ures that will come before the next congress. The statement says: “Certain individuals and newspa- pers are persistently giving wide cir- culation to a mendacious and libelous statement launched a day or so ago by a New York newspaper to the effect that certain of my speeches made in the senate during the debate on the War Revenue bill are being willtully circulated by me for the pur- pose of and with the result of ob- structing the second bond sale, now in progress. i ‘“'Shortly after the bill passed I took from The Congressional Record por- tions of what I had said from time to time during the date and reprinted the same, at my own expense, in three pamphlets, and three only, for distribution. ' I belleved then, and I believe now, that the distribution of the pamphlets would ald in awaken- ing a public interest and in organiz- ing a public opinion which would in- duce congress at the next session to more adequately and justly tax war profits and surplue incomes. I‘printed country. Every part of it part is doing. distance. Fifty thousand hundred-thousand miles of cities, towns and hamiets. The War of 1812 The battle of New Orleans was fought 15 days after peace was declared —so slow were methods of communication. The world moves quickly. Western Union Service overcomes the old-time barrier of citizen of the United States—in twenty-six tQousand WESTERN UNION Telegrams — Day Letters— Night Letters Cablegrams—Money Transferred by Wire THE WESTERN UNION TELEGRAPH CO. The United States is a big must know what every other employes and one-million-five- wire are at the call of every ditions due to speculation in food sup- | their ; faction. her present display of gowns which embody every every ,fashionable shade. $95. Bags. C Hartford’s “Fifth Avenue” Shop ‘Well groomed women take pleasure in the modish attire at the Coughlin Shop, knowing that here they will find the last word in style and will secure that care- ful attention to every detail which insures perfect satis- gowns of serge, satin, Georgette and Now Showing the \ CORRECT MODES e Hats, Gowns, Blouses, Furs, Coats, Neckwear, Veils selection of Miss Coughlin takes special pleasure in calling attention to AFTERNOON AND EVENING GOWNS which combine rare distinctiveness and superior quality— Chic in desirable style note. other materials Novel trimming effects. Strect ' Dresses, $19.50 to '$45.00, Evening Frocks, $25 Smart Coats, $25 to $195. to See the New French Hand MODERATE CHARGES 82 PEARL ST., OPPOS ITE LEWIS ST., HARTFORD, CONN. reason, and for no other reason. my amendments before the senate on Sept. 7 for the sole purpose of per- suading senators to support amendment, I referred to the in- fluence which the refasal of congress to properly tax wealth might have upon the next bond sale. It is all embraced in a single paragraph of thirty-three lines. “No part of this paragraph or the speech of which it was a part, and no reference to it or .the proposition and circulated the pamphlets for this i “It is true that, in debating one of ' the | with which it deals, is included in any | of the three pamphlets distributed on the revenue bill, or in any other mat- ter or thing which I have written or spoken upon that measure. “But it remained for certain news- papers, prompted by malice, havinx the interests of wealth especially in their keeping, to dig it out of The | Congressional Record, where it was reposing in harmless obscurity, and gave it the widest publicity by false- ly suggesting and even asserting that I had circulated it as a part of a speech franked out by the thousands, Facts About the Sugar Situation A Our Government has asked you to use sugar spar- ingly. We believe that the people of this country will be glad to do their part to conserve the sugar supply when they know the facts. These facts are as follows: More than two-thirds of the source of Europe’s sugar supply u within the present battle lines. This has resulted. in greatly rediicing the production of sugar in Europe. : England and France and other countries have been forced to go for sugar to Cuba. Ordinarily, to the United home use. nearly all of the Cuban raw sugar comes States and is refined here, chiefly for This is not the case now. In view of the exceptional world demand for sugar there is no surplus, and barely enough to tide us over until the new crop comes in. The people of the New England and. Atlantic Coast States should use sugar sparingly. No one should hoard or waste it. This Company has no surplus sugar to sell. It is working with the Government to conserve the supply, and to take care of the Allies so far as possible. Do not pay an increased retail price. American SugarRefining Company ‘“‘Sweeten it with Domino’’ Granulated, ‘Tablet, Powdered, Confectioners, Brown wealth at the next session of con “This is the real motive back the assault upon me. This is the motive back of the attack upon distribution of speeches upon the Revenue bill.” . to suggest their paying the English rate of 80 per cent. Hence thelr press assails the distribution of speeches which will marshal the pub- lic opinion of, the country in support of legislation Ipcreasipg the tax on while the treasury was struggling to | sell a second bond issue. “Now the war profiteers are op- | posed to paying more than 31 per {cent on their war profits. Indeed, they trled to get off with a 27 per Member hip Fee Your Chance.” EASY TERMS price. FREE WE BUY YOUR OLD RANGE ty years it is out of date. —— \ Join The St THE STERLING CLUB OPENED TODAY We have purchased 16 Scientific Sterling Ranges from the Sill Stove Works of Rochester, N. 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