Role of America in Famine Relief in Huai River Basin and Its Measures on Agriculture-forestry & Water Conservation in 1906–1913

Due to the low terrain, poor drainage, and the influence of the Yellow River and the Great Canal, the Huai River Basin has been one of the most flood-prone areas in China. In 1906−1913, floods occurred for several consecutive years in this area, causing persistent famines and plague. At that time, it was just a period of great change in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China. The crisis that the government needed to deal with came one after another, and the plague epidemic added great difficulties to the relief work. The United States timely extended a helping hand to raise charity funds and materials to help the victims, and there were some new trends in disaster relief ideas and measures. Several engineers were sent to China to participate in investigation and research on flood control. Bailie, Professor of Agriculture inNanking University, a missionary university run by the United States in China, organized the victims to carry out the afforestation in Purple Mountain and Farm Colony plan. Under the coordination of Ahern, director of the US Philippine forestry administration, Han an, a Chinese returned Forester from the United States, the US consuls in Nanjing and Shanghai at that time and Nanking University, the remaining relief fund donated by the United States was used to establish the Forestry Department of Nanking University to cultivate forestry talents. The above measures have accumulated a lot of experience for disaster relief and prevention since then, and also opened the cooperation between China and the United States in agriculture and forestry, water conservancy projects, road construction, disease response and so on in the first half of the 20th century.