Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 74, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 December 1920 — WILSON SEEKS AID FOR CHINA [ARTICLE]

WILSON SEEKS AID FOR CHINA

President Calls on American People to Contribute for Distressed Country. NAMES COMMITTEE OF 130 i • Fifty Million Persons Are Affected by Famine, 20,000,000 of Them Doomed to Death—Roads Now Lined With Corpses. Washington, Dec. 10.—President Wilson culled on the American people to contribute of their funds to relieve the “appalling” distress In China resulting from famine in several provinces. Thomas W. Lamont of the btSHdng house of J. P. Morgan & Co. was designated as tbe chairman of the committee, and Acting Secretary Davis of the State department as treasurer. The president said that in order to assure an orderly collection of contributions he had invited “a nation-wide committee” to lend their aid. “A famine, alurming- in Its proportions, today holds in Its grip several Important provinces in China,” said the President’s appeal. “The crop failure is complete and the present distress, which is great, is likely before winter has run its course to become appalling. In fact, our diplomatic and consular agents in China inform me that the loss resulting from death in distressing form may run into millions of souls. It is certain that the local government and established organizations of relief are tumble to cope with the magnltyde of disaster which faces them.

Especially Worthy Case. “The case of China I regard as especially worthy of the attention of our citizens. To an unusual degree the Chinese people look to us for counsel and for effective friendship. Our churches, through their religious and medical missionaries, their schools and colleges and our philanthropic foundations have rendered China an incalculable benefit, which her people recoguize with gratitude and devotion to the United States. “Therefore, not only In the name of humanity, but in that of friendliness which we feel for a great people in distress, I venture to ask that our citizens shall, even though the task of giving is not today a light one, respond as they can to this distant but appealing cry for help. “In order to be assured of the orderly • collection of such donations, large or small, which may be offered, I have invited a nation-wide committee, whose names are attached hereto, to lend their aid in this matter. I have designated Thomas W. Lamont of New York city to act as chairman of this committe, and Norman Davis, undersecretary of state, tc act as treasurer. “I realize that this call, added to those for the underfed children of eastern Europe and the afflicted peoples of the Near East, and to the needs of our own country, makes heavy the demand upon the bounty of the nation. I am confident, however, that all these plans will be answered in generous spirit.” - •

Committee Numbers < 130. The committee' appointed by the President numbers 130* including 22 women. Besides Mr. Lamont and Undersecretary Davis it includes Secretary Houston of the Treasury department, Governor Harding of the federal reserve board, former President Taft, Cardinal Gibbons, Charles Eliot, Frank A. Vanderiip, Cleveland H. Dodge, James Farrell, Paul S. Reinsch, Vance C. McCormick, Senator Hitchcock of Nebraska, Senator Capper of Kansas, Fairfax Harrison, Mortimer L. Schiff, John D. Rockefeller, Jr., James A. Stillman, Dean Shailer Mathews, University of Chicago; Dr. Jeremiah W. Jenks, Charles H. Sabine, Frank I. Cobb, Adolph H. Ochs, George M. Cohan, George Horace Lorfmer, Samuel Gompers, Dr. Livingston Farrand, E. N. Hurley, Julius Rosenwald, Festus J. Wade, Charles Nagel, John R. Mott, Dr. William Mayo, Myron T. Herrick, Louis W. Hill, Robert Dollar, John H. Rosseter, David Starr Jordan, Raymond B. Fosdick, Bishop Thomas S. Gailor, Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt, Mrs. Medill McCormick, wife of the senator from Illinois; Mrs. George Wharton Pepper, Mrs. Blanche Bates Creel, Mrs. August Belmont, Mrs. Cary T. Grayson, Mrs. Joseph Cudahy, Mrs. Otto H. Kahn, Mrs. M. C. Thomas, president of Bryn Mawr college, and Mrs. Margaret Anglin Hull. '

Affects 50,000,000 Persons. New York, Dec. 10. —Calamitous famine is now ravaging China, directly affecting 50,000,000 persons, indirectly 32,000,000 more and spelling horrible death for at least 20,000,000 children, men and women. Two hundred million dollars are needed for tlfe rescue work and only a small amount of this is in hand or in prospect. “I found the roads literally lined with corpses,” a missionary in Cina reported by cable after a visit through the provirice of- Honan. “Diseases are coining in to complete the work of the famine, and cholera especially is epidemic” in large numbers of communities.”