r'aL'rA- :a. REPORT Famine Conditions in North China AND Students’ Relief Work in New York City UP TO MAY 6. 1921 HELP CHINESE STUDENTS FAMINE RELIEF COMMITTEE Chai Lan Yu, Secretary NEW YORK CITY CHINESE STUDENTS’ FAMINE RELIEF COMMITTEE 1921 New York City, N. Y. HON. lUMING C. SUEZ, Honorary Chairman, Chinese Consul General, New York. MR. LEE TO, Honorary Vice-Chairman MR. SOO MA, Honorary Vice-Chairman MR. YU GW AN CHEN, Chairman MR. CHAI LAN YU, Secretary MR. LIANG CHAO CHA, Treasurer ' MR. CHING YU CHANG MR. PENG CHUN CHANG MR. HSUEH CHANG CHOU MRS. JOHN ll. CHENG MISS WAN CHUCK MR. DANIEL C. FU MR. PAO CHIEN HSU MR. SHEN HUNG MR. HERMAN C. E. LIU MR. YOHMIN LOW MR. TSO HENG MAI MR. PEI HSIN PENN MR. TINGFU F. TSIANG MISS YIN YUE YANG MISS CHINDON YUI EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF 1920 MR. YU GW AN CHEN, Chairman MR. HSUEH CHANG CHOU, Secretary MR. CHING YU CHANG, Treasurer ANNOUNCEMENTS 1. For speakers to speak in churches and other organizations on North China famine problems, please write to Mr. Herman C. E. Liu, Committee-in-charge, 523 West 123rd Street, New York City, N. Y. 2. For more copies of this report, please write to Mr. Chai Lan Yu, 110-112 Morningside Drive, New York City, N. Y. WHAT THE RELIEF FROM AMERICA HAS DONE FOR CHINA Chili, Shantung, Shansi, Honan, Shensi, five contiguous provinces of North China and the seat of ancient, medieval and modern Chinese civilization, today encounters one of the world’s greatest catastrophes — FAMINE. It affects po,ooo miles of land zvith a population of ^5,- 000,000 sufferers. Last October the Chinese Students Famine Relief * A Glimpse of the Starving Millions Committee and, later, the American Committee and the Chinese Mer- chants’ Relief Committee, were organized to solicit funds. Our American friends and Chinese residents in this country responded with great rapid- ity. More than 8,000,000 people were saved from death. For this bountiful generosity the Chinese Students Famine Relief Committee of New York City, in the names of their fellow-countrymen, wish to express their heartfelt gratitude. But 5,000,000 lives are still to be saved by help from this country. Moreover, according to the latest report (April 21, 1921) of Mr. Charles R. Crane, U. S. Minister to China and Chairman of the American Famine Relief Advisory Committee in Peking, May and June are the worst and the most critical months in the famine districts of North China. There is great fear, he emphasized, that the wretched people in their extreme desperation may eat up the growing crops before their harvest, and thereby project into another year this terrible condition. Therefore further help is urgent. HELP A NATION IN DISTRESS TO SAVE A VAST REGION FROM COMMERCIAL, ECONOMIC, INTELLECTUAL AND MORAL COLLAPSE, AND STRENGTHEN THE EXISTING TIES BETWEEN TWO DEMOCRATIC PEOPLES. PLEASE GIVE WHATEVER YOU CAN— 3c saves one life one day $1 saves one life one month $5 saves one family one month $10 saves three acres of crops from devastation Make checks payable to Mr. Liang Chao Cha, Treasurer of the Chinese Students Famine Relief Committee, Teachers College, Colum- bia University, New York City. REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE Since October 1 0, 1 920 Formation and Aim — On October 10, 1920, the New York City Chinese Students met at the Cathay Garden to celebrate the National Day of the Republic of China. Availing themselves of this occasion, the officers of the Columbia Chinese Students’ Club brought up the discussion of the Famine Problem in North China. To cope with a task of such magnitude a special committee was appointed by Mr. Yu Gwan Chen, President of the Columbia Chinese Students Club. The committee’s aim was to formulate plans for aiding the immediate relief of 45,000,000 sufferers at home. This Committee was reappointed by the new Pres- ident of the Club, Mr. Kwoh Neng Lei, on March 6, 1921. Activities —The Committee in cooperation with the students have brought about the following accomplishments : ( 1 ) circulars were 2 mailed to all local Chinese Students Clubs, Chinese Merchants’ organiza- tions in U. S. A. to urge them to start Famine Relief work; (2) a large sum has been contributed by our American friends and the Chinese residents in New York City; (3) members of the Committee were sent to approach the American Women’s Organizations and the American Famine Relief Committee, to ask their cooperation; (4) Speakers have been sent to different churches to speak on “The Famine Conditions in North China’’; (5) Six performances of a Chinese play, “Mu Lan,’’ have been given in the city as well as outside; (7) a report on Famine Con- ditions in North China and the Students’ relief work in this city, is now published. Picture of the Cast of a Chinese Play, “Mu Lan,” Presented by the Chinese Students of Columbia University, N. Y. C. Special mention must be made of “Mu Lan,” because the greater part of our time and energy has been devoted to it. The play in English was written by Mr. Peng Chun Chang. Its story was derived from an antiquated but most celebrated anonymous Chinese ballad “Mu Lan” (6th Century) and a Chinese drama of the same name. In the interest of those who have not been to our performances, a synopsis of “Mu Lan” is given here. In the Sixth Century, A. D., a barbarian tribe from the North, invaded China. Hua Mu Lan, a young and charming daughter of a huntsman in Shangyi village, 3 perceiving her father’s firm desire to go to the front and his age-tottered health, herself volunteered, as a substitute for him, to join the imperial troops in man’s armor. With dauntless spirit and masculine bravery, she defeated the enemy and became the hero of the war. For ten years she served in the army, first as a soldier and then as a captain. None of her comrades had any doubt as to her genuineness; nor did she betray any of her feminine qualities. But the spark of a romantic fire never ceases to kindle in a youthful mind. In one of those weary campaigns, she met Ho Tin Yu, a bra\'e and handsome recruit of twenty, whom she cherished as her life’s ideal. After she had declined the honors in the court and retired to her old cottage, the emperor ordered Ho Tin Yu, now a general, to present his imperial gifts in person to the Joan of Arc. To his great amazement. Mu Lan appeared in her maiden dress, like an apparation in his dream. With great bashfulness she said to Ho Tin Yu, “General ! Do you remember what I said once — ‘Some day, may be, you will know’?’’ The play ends here and the happy sequence is left to the reader’s imagination. CAST OF MO LAN — Misses Ang Lee, Eva M. V. Leewah, Yat Kvv'an Liang, Hsueh Feng Louie, Susan Yipsang; Messrs. Liang Chao Cha, Ching Lien Chang, Ching Yu Chang, Ta Chen, Chai Hsuan Chuang, Hsueh Chang Chou, Hsueh Hsin Chou, Tien Chou, Tsui Chi Chou, Siu Shan Chung, Shen Hung, Fu Keng Jowe, Chu Li, Chin Hsiang Meng, Kai Fook Mok, Chun Jien Pao, Louis Sik, Ching C. Tang, Ju Yi Tsai, Yuan Kuang Wei, Tsu Yin Wen, Philip L. Yuan. MOSTCIANS — Messrs. Shih YingChu, leader; Ching , Yuan Cheng, Kwoh Neng Lei, Chu Li, Pei Hsin Penn, Shutai T. Woo, Tsu Yin Wen. STAFF — Messrs. Shen Hung, Director; Liang Chao Cha, Costume Manager; Ching Yu Chang, Business Manager; Hsueh Chang Chou, Business Manager; Tsu Yin Wen, Stage Manager. Contributions and Proceeds from Mu Lan 2 performances in Cort Theatre, New York City $ 3,188.00 2 performances in Century Promenade, N. Y. City 2,501.00 1 performance in Yonkers, N. Y. 654.00 1 performance in White Plains, N. Y 500.00 Total : $ 6,843.00 Special contributions 5,522.05 Total amount raised by Chinese Students Famine Relief Com. up to May 6, 1921 $12,365.05 4 Four more performances are to be given, through special requests, one in New Haven, Conn., one in Montclair, N. J., and two in Wash- ington, D. C. The Fund has been deposited in the Corn Exchange Bank, New York City. Nine Thousand Dollars ($9,000) have been remitted to Mr. Pao Chuan Chen, Treasurer of National Committee, China Famine Relief Fund, Peking, China. The remainder will be sent over to the same organization, later, together with funds from other sources. THE NORTH CHINA FAMINE, PAST AND PRESENT Causes of the Famine — (1) Failure of the 1920 spring crops through flood; (2) Devastation of summer crops by locusts; and (3) Destruction of autumn crops by a prolonged draught. There was not a single drop of rain for more than a year. Total Population of Five Famine Provinces — Chili, 30,000,000 ; Shantung, 38,000,000 ; Honan, 25,000,000 ; Shansi, 10,000,000 ; Shensi, 8.000. 000; TOTAL, 110,000,000. (Total population of U. S. A. 114,- 000 , 000 .) Total Number of Sufferers — Up to November, 1920, there were 45.000. 000 sufferers among whom 15,000,000 were at the verge of death. Prompt relief measures from both Chinese themselves and American friends have reduced the number to 5,000,000 (April 21, 1921). Conditions of Suffering — (1) Scanty supply of food and clothes. (2) Houses wrecked for fuel. (3) Sufferers sell their farms and other properties. (4) They auction off their children. (5) They eat green leaves, bark, twigs, chaff, etc. (6) Disease and death. Some Famine Tragedies — (1) In Ping Yuan, Shantung, a Mr. Wang sold all his farms to support his family. Then he pawned his family bedding. After his last cash was gone, he administered one dose of arsenic to end his life. (2) In another place, a family failed to appear for several days. Neighbors found all doors tightly locked. Breaking their way in, they discovered no sign of life, but three corpses. (3) In still another village, three persons hanged themselves on a tree. Under it sat an innocent blind woman. She said to the passerby, “For five days I have had nothing to eat but boiled straw, and that only once a day.” WON’T YOU HELP !!! 5 RELIEF WORK IN CHINA — (1) Chinese government has issued many appeals, guaranteed free transportation of supplies for relief work, and supervised the raising of a large sum ($750,000 every month) by levying a surtax on railroad tickets, surcharging 3 cents on every envelope and giving 20% of the civil employees’ salaries. (2) Contribu- tions: President Shih Chang Hsu — $100,000, General Kwun Tsao- — $1,000,000, General Suen Li (bequest) —$500,000, Chinese merchants^ — $3,000,000 (one Chinese merchant in Strait Settlement contributed $1,- 000,000. Chinese Banks (loan) $4,000,000, etc. (3) Teachers and students sent in their money saved by observing “meatless days.” (4) Tag days in Peking, Tientsin, Shanghai, Foochow, Canton. TOTAL from (1), (2), (3), (4) — $17,000,000 (Mex.). (5) Foreign committee in China^ — $5,000,000 (Mex.). (6) A new national drive has been started. (Report of April 21, 1921.) RELIEF WORK IN AMERICA— (1) President Harding and Ex-Presidents Taft and Wilson have made three effective appeals. (2) Speakers have been sent to churches, Sunday schools, Y. M. C. A., Women’s Foreign Missionary Societies, men’s church clubs, etc., by the American Famine Relief Committee to speak on “The Famine Conditions in China.” (4) Hunger cards and life-saving stamps have been printed and sold by the American Committee. (5) Large sums have been raised by the Famine Relief Committee of the local Chinese students’ clubs and the Chinese Students’ Alliance. (6) Special representatives have been delegated to solicit funds. (7) Amounts of money remitted to China: (a) American Committee — $3,602,891, (b) American Committee and Red Cross — $1,000,000, (c) American Committee and Churches — $1,000,000. TOTAL from (a), (b), (c)— $5,602,891. (d) Chinese Merchants Famine Relief Committee in New York City — $30,000. (e) Chinese Students Famine Relief Committee, N. Y. C.- — $9,000. (8) Special mention must be made of five states having contributed above $100,000 each: New York, $898,137.67; Pennsylvania, $342,777.56; Ohio, $199,672.04; Massachusetts, $184,815.33; and Illinois, $116,075.56. (Report of May 6, 1921.) 6 THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA THE FAMINE DISTRICT: — Chihli, Shantung, Shansi, Shensi and Honan The total area of the suffering Provinces is equal to the total area of all the fol- lowing States: California, Oregon, Washington. Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New Hampshire. THE number of suffering people in the.se Provinces is FIVE TIMES the total pop- ulation of all the above mentioned States. THE FLOOD DISTRICT: Hunan, Che kiang and Fu kien. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2017 with funding from Columbia University Libraries https://archive.org/details/reportonfamineOOchin Send Whatever You Can Give to Keep the Five Millions from Suffering I hereby contribute $ — for the Relief Fund, payable Name A ddress Make checks payable to Mr. Liang Chao Cha, Treasurer of the Chinese Students Famine Relief Committee, Teachers College, Colum* bia University, New York City.