COPYBlGIl’l iNUEBWOOD I ina’s Awful Famine 15 Million Lives in Jeopardy A HAPPY GROUP OF CHINESE GIRLS BEFORE THE FAMINE A girls' class listening to a native teacher? Among the number ^ ** is a little Amertcan girl, the child of a much beloved mission^y .. '****? Send all Contributions for the Famine Sufferers to China Famine Relief Work ' THE CHRISTIAN HERALD 91 TO 115 BIBLE HOUSE, NEW YORK CITY lUay God Bless the Givers, and multiply the Gifts "Blessed is he that considereth the poor." TABLE OF CONTENTS A Happy Group of Chinese Girls Before the Famine . A Message to You 3 Killing the Aged and the Children .... 3 Boys Sell at $2.00; Girls at $3.00 .... 4 What Thou Doest, Do Quickly 4 Shall These Little Lambs Perish ? .... 5 Calisthenics at the South Gate Presbyterian School . 5 The Worst Famine in Forty Years .... 6 Canal that Overflowed, Submerging 40,000 Sq. Miles . 6 President Roosevelt Appeals 7 President Roosevelt Contributes 7 Our Duty and Our Resolve 8 A Native Bible Woman ...... 8 God’s Promises Fulfilled 9 Another Testing Time 9 Scholars at the Isabel Hart Girls’ School (Methodist) . 10 Little Children Moaning for Food . . . .11 Homan Flesh Sold for Food 11 Alive in Her Dead Mother’s Arms ... . .11 A Chinese ^‘Freight Train” Resting at a Station . 12 A Chinese Automobile . . . . . .12 Help Them to Help Others ...... 13 They Are Looking This Way 13 Let us Help Them Quickly ...... 13 A Little Girl’s Appeal for China 14 Christian Refugees at the Apostolic Mission . .14 Give Us Bread or We Perish 15 The Daughters of the King ...... 15 Chinese Minister Thanks Our People . . . .16 How Many Lives Will YOU Save . . . .16 Every Contribution, however small, for the Famine Sufferers in China, will be first acknowledged in the columns of The Christian Herald, and later on in Heaven by Him who will say: “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto these ye have done it unto me.” This pamphlet may be had FREE in large or small quantities by applying to The Christian Herald, 91-115 Bible Honse, New York 2 A Message to You Unless America, the land of unparalleled prosperity, speedily sends relief to the starving millions of China, the most frightful tragedy of the twentieth century will be en- acted, and millions of helpless human beings will perish for the want of a crust of bread. The calamity that has befallen these peaceful, industrious peo- ple is not of their own creation. Rain fell, as in the days of Noah, for forty days without a break, the waters overflowed a hun- dred miles to the east and a hundred miles to the west, a hun- dred miles to the north and a hundred miles to the south, sub- merging farms, destroying crops, uprooting houses, and leaving despair, destruction and star- vation in their track. Thus forty thousand square miles were compelled to stand the un- usual strain, and fifteen millions of people became impoverished. Killing the Aged and the Children So intense is the suffering now that parents kill their children by throwing them in the rivers, or administering poison, and after this desperate act take their own lives. The aged people are being drowned to prevent their death by the agonies of starvation. Everywhere throughout the length and breadth of the afflicted dis- trict people are dying in the fields, on the roads, and in the streets, literally falling in their tracks a prey to the cruel and relentless monster 3 Pleue Give Me a Few Graloi of Rice Boys Sell at $2.00; Girls at $3.00 One of the most pitiful phases is the uncontrollable grief of parents, who, in sheer desperation, sell their children for a mere pittance, and then, when they realize what they have done, like Rachel of old, re- fuse to be comforted, pleading with the purchaser for the restoration of their children, offering themselves to undergo servitude that their darlings might be set at liberty. Girls are selling for three dollars and boys for two dollars, Mexican, which means half that amount in American money. Such is the story of the greatest tragedy of the present century now being enacted in far-off China, and it is in behalf of these millions that this urgent ap- peal is issued, and with it goes an earnest, heartfelt prayer that God may grac'ously move the hearts of our people to liberally and promptly respond to the appeal of these helpless victims. Let every minister of the Gospel, every Sunday School Superintendent, every Young People’s Society (whether Christian Endeavor, Epworth League, Young People’s Union, or Y. M. C. A.), every generous man and ever}’’ tender-hearted and sympathetic woman throughout the length and breadth of this land be true to Him whose life on earth was a ministry of helpful- ness to the downtrodden, the unfortunate and the desolate; true to themselves and true to humanity, and lend a hand in this great work of throwing out the life- line to the millions of aged men, defenseless women and innocent children of China, thus effectually answering their pitiful prayer of absolute helplessness. “What Thou Doest, Do Quickly” “Soon will the season of rescue be o’er; Soon will they drift to Eternity’s shore: Haste, then, my brother; no time for delay. But throw out the life-line and save them to-day.” Address all remittances for the relief of starving China to THE CHINA FAMINE RELIEF FUND Care of THE CHRISTIAN HERALD, 91 to 115 Bible House, - New York City 4 CAUSTHENICS AT THE SOUTH GATE PRESBYTERIAN SCHOOL The children are neat and tidy and from refined homes. The famine affects both rich and poor, as the floods have swept away their everytlimg. Shall These Little Lambs Perish? Dr. J. Sumner Stone, the well-known pastor of a Methodist church in New York City, and now travel- ing in China, writes The Christiast Heeald as follows: “Fifteen million people are already in the grasp of famine. Seven millions are now helpless. They are living on a gruel made of beans and sweet potato leaves. Even this will soon be gone. Already the people are drowning or giving opium to their aged relatives and their children, and selling their little girls into nameless slavery. Our missionaries are trying to save where they can; but what can they do when millions are hungry and crying for bread at their doors? I love children too much to see them exposed to hunger or shame without crying loudly to their friends to come to their help. It is not the will of our heavenly Father that one of these little ones should perish. 5 The Worst Famine in Forty Years Some of the accounts that reach us from Shanghai, tell of awful misery and suffering, which, were it not for the authoritative source whence they hail, would seem almost incredible. The Viceroy of one of the afflicted provinces states that the famine is “ten times worse than any known in the last forty years.” He tells of a family consisting of husband, wife and two children. The mother went foraging for food, and during her absence the father threw the children into the river and drowned them. On her return the mother asked for her children, and THE CANAL THAT OVERFLOWED, SUBMERGING 40,000 SQUARE MILES was told that the father could not bear to see them gradually starving to death, and as there was no chance of feeding them, he made away with them. 'J'he mother, greatly distressed, flung herself into the river, following her children. The head of the family, in utter despair at the loss of his all, took his life also. The whole family thus perished. 6 President Roosevelt Apyeals President Roosevelt has expressed, by official proclamation, the profound sympathy of this coun- try for the 15 , 000,000 famine suflFerers in China, and has invited the American people to contribute a fund to be applied to relief work. The procla- mation says: “There is an appalling famine in China. Through- out a district covering over 40,000 square miles, and supporting a population of 15 , 000 , 000 , the crops have been destroyed by floods, and millions of people are on the verge of starvation; thou- sands of dwellings have been destroyed and their inmates are without homes. An urgent appeal has been made for the assistance of the United States. “Our people have often, under similar conditions of distress in other countries, responded generously to such appeals. Amid our abounding prosperity, assuredly we should do our part to aid the unfor- tunate and relieve the distressed among the people of China, to whom we have been allied for so many years in friendship and kindness.” President Roosevelt Contributes DEPARTMENT OF STATE WASHINGTON Dear Doctor Klopsch: The President has asked me to say to you that he is much interested in your work to raise funds for the sufferers by the present dreadful famine in China. He hopes that you will meet with the same success that you have had in similar appeals to the humanity and liberality of our people. As a contribution to the fund he has handed me his check for $100, which 1 enclose, to- gether with a similar check of my own. With best wishes, I am. Very sincerely yours. Dr. Louis Klopsch, ELIHU ROOT. The Christian Herald, New York City. 7 Our Duty and Our Resolve These people, though their skin be yellow, though their customs be strange, though they live in a different clime, though at times they have erred, and grievously erred, yet are they our brethren, and we will not desert them in this hour of terrible affliction and distress. They shall not die if we can prevent it. Their chil- dren shall not be sold for food, for to them they are as Copyright UuUerwood A Underwood A NATIVE BIBLE WOMAN These consecrated women are a great help to the overworked mission- aries in foreign fields, and a great influence for good among the natives. dear as our own prattling babes are to us; they shall not starve, seeing that God has given us enough and to spare. Out of our abundance we will assist them, and God helping us, we will do to them as we would, under similar conditions, have them do to us, and thus reduc- ing the Golden Rule to practice, we will give them bread to the full extent of our individual ability. 8 God’s Promises Fulfilled Ten years ago we gave liberally to India, then to Cuba, then to Port*? Rico, then to China, then to Bin- land, and last year to Japan. True to the promise contained in his precious Word, For this thing the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine band unto (Dent. 15 : 10). God has graciously blessed and prospered our beloved land to an absolutely unprecedented degree. Wealth has been poured into our lap, factories have been re-opened, looms silent for years have again been set to work. The railroads of the land, notwithstanding their largely increased facilities, have been tested to their utmost capacity by crops unparalleled in the world’s history, and the Government reports indicate a coming crop exceeding in quantity and richness any yet harvested. Business all over the country has revived to an amazing degree, and work has become more plentiful and more profitable than ever. No epidemic or plague has been permitted to gather its victims from among our loved ones, and, basking in the sunshine of Provi- dence, we enjoy a full measure of happiness, health, prosperity, and of God’s favor. Thus does our Heavenly Father fulfill his promises to his believing children, and his Word is as good to-day as it was yesterday, and it will remain so forever. Another Testing Time And now has come another testing time. Once again, a portion of God’s footstool is sorely afflicted. Once again, a hungry, starving, suffering people raise toward us their attenuated hands in earnest supplica- tion, and unite their voices in a concerted plea for help. Shall we turn aside and refuse to answer? Shall we say to them, “Your people did thus and so, and you must not expect anything from us?” No, indeed! Unworthy would be such a course for those who profess to follow in the footsteps of the lowly Nazarene who went about doing good to friend and foe alike, who even laid down his life for his enemies, and whose sacred lips gave utterance to these words: Love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest : for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil (Luke 6 : 35). 9 SCHOLARS AT THE ISABEL HART GIRLS’ SCHOOL, METHODIST, PHOTOGRAPHED LAST YEAR Little Children Moaning For Food Rev. Dr. T. F. McCrea, Treasurer of the Missionary Relief Committee, writes: “Leaves and coarse mill feed, ordinarily given only to hogs, now sell for as much as good food usually costs. Trade is paralyzed. People are homeless, list- less, hopeless. Furniture and clothing — what little was saved from the cruel flood — are sacrificed and the pov- erty-stricken parents hear the hungry children cry and moan in the night, while they themselves crouch help- lessly cn a damp mat in some remote corner. “I think of that day when Christ fed the hungry five thousand, and I wonder if Christ’s people will follow in his footsteps, and have compassion on these hungry thousands in China, who must perish with cold and hunger unless we help them. “Your cablegram received last night. We are greatly rejoiced that The Christian Herald is at work for us in the homeland. This inspires hope.” Human Flesh Sold for Food A correspondent of the Echo says: In two districts, Sinchow and Paichow, starving and desperate people are eating their children, all the plants, grasses and roots having been exhausted. This correspondent adds that there have been many cases of cannibalism. Human flesh was being sold for food, although the ghoulish traffic was conducted secretly. Alive in Her Dead Mother’s Arms A correspondent of the Shanghai Mercury, after vis- iting the famine district, writes: Your correspondent saw the famine here in ’98, and it was awful. He has often said since that he hoped he would never have to see another, but all agree that it is going to be worse this time than it was then. Many here are sick from what they are eating, and the color of the skin is already noticably darkening. A woman was traveling with her baby girl a year old. Weakened by her long journey and lack of food, she fell an easy prey to the fever and died by the side of the road, clasping tightly her little child. For two days the little living child was left in its dead mother’s arms. Who on that road, with hunger and fever relent- lessly driving them on, could stop to heed even the cry of a helpless baby ? H Copyright Unclei wood ^ Underwood A CHINESE "FREIGHT TRAIN” RESTING AT A STATION A CHINESE AUTOMOBILE The Conveyance in Vogue Among the Better Classes 12 Help Them to Help Others Missionaries now working in China have been so affected by the scenes of heartrending suffering which they have been compelled to witness that, though their hearts are breaking, their tears refuse to flow. They themsehes have given all they had and all thev could borrow, and now they are daily inditing pathetic communications, and sending them broadcast, with the fervent prayer that God would move the hearts of their more fortunate brothers and sisters in distant lands to contribute largely in this hour of China’s direst need, and thus help them to help those who are looking to them for salvation from impending death. They Are Looking This Way For many years these godly men and women have pointed the people to the Saviour, and countless thou- sands have accepted him and have been baptized in the Faith. Indeed, the cause of Christ is making wondrous progress among the dense population of China, and now that disaster has befallen them and death is threat- ening them, what wonder that they are looking for help from this country whence hail the missionaries, who have told them again and again the beautiful story of one Jesus who went about doing good, who fed the multitudes, and whose followers in this prosperous country are walking in the footsteps of their Master, daily testing their lives by the standard he established, and ever asking themselves. What would Jesus do? Let Us Help Them Quickly And shall they look in vain? Shall they be disap- pointed ? Shall we lead them to believe that our religion is mere profession ? Shall we shut up the bowels of our compassion and tell them that American money and American grain are for Americans only — that religion is one thing and charity quite another? Or shall we open our hearts, our hands, our purses and our granaries, and in the name of our Master whom we serve, bid them share with us the bounties of our Heavenly Father’s goodness? Deal thy bread to the hungry. . . . Then shall thy light break forth as the morning and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and . . . the glory of the. Lord shall be thy reward. Isaiah 58 : 7, 8. 13 A Little Girl’s Appeal for China B'riends of The Cheistian Herald Think of the poor Chinese people. When you read of how they drown their children, re- member it is because they would not see them slowly die before their eyes. No, you would not either— I know it. They have hearts, just the same as we have. When you think of the poor skeletons — for that is what they are — you can imagine how they look— feeble and unable to walk. When you see the picture of the boy in 1906 with his bowl full of rice, and in 1907 empty, you know it Is hard. Yes. very. Think of the poor children. How they suffer ! Their little Copyright, Uiitierwooii A Underwood CHRISTIAN REFUGEES AT THE APOSTOLIC MISSION cries are full of sadness. And how hard it must be for the poor mothers and fathers. They suffer, too^ut not as much as the poor little ones, who are as thin as a penw and yet as good as can be. We cannot understand how miserable they are. They are fed once every twenty-four hours, unless they can get something for themselves, like sweet potato leaves or the bark of some tree. Then think of how we have three meals a day, and a nice bed to sleep in and a warm room. The poor people in China have hardly anything to eat. and only a wet mat to sleep on in the cold nights; nothing under them but the cold ground and very little over them. Oh. how thankful to God we should be that we do not suffer like the poor Chinese people. So let us thank God, let us try to help the poor Chinamen. Mary. 14 Give Us Bread or We Perish “Give us bread, give us bread, or we perish!” is the pitiful cry which comes from far-oif China to Chris- tian America. Mothers frantically pressing the emaci- ated little forms of darling children to their parched breasts, as if by embrace to keep the feeble spark of life from becoming wholly extinct; wives whose hearts are breaking as they see the breadwinner of the family growing weaker and weaker day after day, without prospect of relief, and husbands whose looks of hope- less agony speak louder than words of the terrible dread and apprehension that fill their hearts, are straining their eyes in the direction of this country, whence hail the missionaries who have told them the beautiful story of one Jesus, who went about doing good, who fed the multitudes, and whose followers in this blessed country are walking in the footsteps of their Master. To put flesh on these dry bones, blood in these parched veins, vitality in these enfeebled bodies, and joy and hope in these desolate hearts, is your mission, and my mission, dear brothers and sisters, and may God grant that with alacrity we avail ourselves of this great opportunity of doing good in our Redeemer’s name. Hasten quickly to their rescue. Hear their bitter cry for bread. Ye, who in your homes have plenty. Ye, whom God has always fed. According to the most recent advices the floods have submerged 40,000 square miles, impoverishing 15,000,000 inhabitants — honest, industrious people, who have fallen upon evil times, and whom America will not desert in this hour of their dire extremity, nor suffer them to perish from off the face of the earth. Help will surely be afforded them, and in such bounti- ful measure that the calamity that has come upon them shall not overwhelm them. The Daughters of the King There are in every community godly women, sympa- thetic and kind; consecrated women, who long to do good, as they have opportunity, and to aid the poor, the suffering and the distressed. We look confidently to them for aid at this time. They can work, they can speak, they can plead, pray and give. May God call them to this mission and graciously prosper the work of their hearts and their hands. 15 Chinese Minister Thanks Our People Imperial Chinese Legation, Washington. The Chinese people remember what The Christian Herald did for our famine sufferers years ago and they are deeply grateful for it. No words can express our appreciation of Dr. Klopsch’s unrivalled philanthropy, and through him I would express my gratitude to the American people for their great generosity. The people of my country are dying and undergoing indescribable suf- fering in untold numbers in the famine districts, and it shows the wonderful brotherhood of mankind, that away over here the great American people should raise money for their relief. No words can express our gratitude. Chentung Liang Cheng. Copyright, H. C.WliiteCo, BEGGING CHILDREN. CONTRAST WITH PICTURE ON FRONT COVER TEN CENTS A DAY will save a small family. Twenty cents will save a life for a week. One Dollar will save a family of five for a week. Five Dollars will save six lives for one month. Ten Dollars may keep a family over the pinch. One Hundred Dollars will save a small community. How Many Lives Will Y OU Save ?