1939-10-28 — Page 9

THE CHINA MAIL, OCTOBER 28, 1939

TWO YEARS OF WORK OF THE BRITISH FUND FOR RELIEF IN CHINA

SHORTLY AFTER THE outbreak of hostilities in China in 1937, many British men and women felt the necessity of doing something to relieve the great suffering of the many, refugees.

MATERIALS SENT

by the Fund during the past two years to the war sufferers, both men and women, old and young, peasants and labourers, etc. and at the present time

the Committee is trying to seek out the best means of using its resources

to meet the great needs that still exist. Recently a generous donation of £5,000 from Messrs. Butterfield &

received have been spent. Letters from by the British Fund has been most these agencies as well accomplished

gratefully appreciated. One recent testimony may be quoted:

WUCHOW RELIEF

"This is to give you an idea of the

refugee assistance given here since

Wuchow was bombed so severely a month ago.

"The head of each street in con- junction with a bureau at the Ma- gistrate's office, filled out a refugee ticket for each person or family who suffered loss during the bombing. This and the number ticket told of the extent of the loss of persons in each family, then was attested to by the signature seal of the head of the street as well as the Yamen official. Unless their property was destroyed no ticket was given the people.

Page

DUBLIN PRISON EXPLOSION

}

Dublin, Oct. 22.

A violent explosion rocked Du- blin to-day and it was reported to have occurred in Mount Joy Pri- son, where inmates were said to have made an abortive attempt to escape.-Havas.

given on the ticket, so they could not

return a second time. Each name was written down in a book. The number

of money given out China currency $5,099.00.

of refugees recorded 6,716: The amount

"Malaria is ranging and each day we give out to the poor several hun- dred tablets of quinine. This was also a gift from the relief committee. We are indeed most grateful for such generous assistance. Alone we would not be able to help the refugees to any such degree. Thanking you for all your goodness."

On August 28th, 1937, the Joint Committee of the British Swire enabled additional grants to be made for relief work in Szechuen, Chamber of Commerce and the China Association dis- whilst the Tientsin floods provided an cussed this question, and despatched a cable to Lon-occasion for the Fund to send prompt

ly a goodly amount of hospital sup- don urging that a fund be opened in London for the

plies. The various sub-committees relief of the refugees. In September, further steps keep strict account of the monies, re-

"Each day the refugees that come were taken to push this matter and early in Octoberceived, and it is gratifying to note that

most of the relief agencies supply de-in from Kwangtung going further into the starting of the Fund was announced.

tailed statements as to how the monies

the interior get a certificate from the In London, the China Association, (a group of men with

refugee bureau then come here. I give business interests in China) the British Red Cross

Refugee ticket acts as a boat ticket. each one a dollar for boat expenses. (which is a body always ready to bring succour to the wounded) and the Conference of British Missionary Societies (a body representing all the Protestant Socie- ties in Great Britain) decided to form a joint committee. In October 1937 the Lord Mayor set up. During the past two years, the gave his support to the official launch- Central Executive has been meeting ing of the appeal for "The Lord Ma- regularly and has seldom if ever turn- yor's Fund for the Relief of Distressed a deaf ear to appeals for assistance. in China." It was found that the sym- pathy with the sufferings of the people The Stainless Steel Manufacturers in China was so wide-spread that in Association in Sheffield donated various cities and towns local com-

£1,000 worth of stainless steel knives, mittees were formed in association scissors, etc. and gifts of anaesthetics, with the Lord Mayor's Fund, most of drugs, dressings and foodstuffs have them under the Chairmanship or with been contributed by the large drug the active support of the local Lord Ma- manufacturers in Great Britain. One yors, Mayors or Provosts, and such firm sent a supply of sewing cotton. committees were formed in Manches- During the period January 15th 1939 ter, Liverpool, Birmingham, Sheffield, to August 17th 1939, 50 shipments ar- Edinburgh, Glasgow, Hull, etc. In Lon-rived in Hong Kong from Great Bri- don sub-committees for the collecting and despatching of clothes and medi- cal supplies were set up. The various British shipping companies such as the Blue Funnel, Glen Line, Shire Line and the P. & O. have conveyed all consignments of medical supplies and clothes freight free, After the Fund had been in operation for more than one year, the Mansion House Fund was closed and therefore it can no longer be described as "The Lord Mayor's Fund," though it is constantly referred to as such. The collection of the money however, continued in the name of "The British Fund for Re- lief in China." It is encouraging to note that after the recent outbreak of war in Europe, the British Fund an- nounced that it would continue its efforts and recorded that the total money raised was £202,000.

|

tain. These shipments comprised some 3191 cases, bales and packages con- taining clothing, hospital supplies, blankets and linen. soap, disinfectants, bandages, first-aid pads, milk foodstuffs, drugs instruments, mosquito net, marmite, etc., the value of which totalled several thousand pounds.

and

Both in Hong Kong and In Shang- hai much time has been spent on the unpacking and redistribution of sup- plies. A large quantity of medical sup plies has also been bought in China and sent to various hospitals.

In April, 1939, Hankow was threat- ened with an epidemic of malaria and the stocks of quinine were running low so the British Fund came to the re- scue and quickly despatched a supply of quinine.

the

DISTRIBUTION IN CHINA Money and supplies have been sent ADMINISTRATION IN CHINA

to all parts of China with the help of In China, a Central Executive Com-

British firms and individuals. In the mittee has been functioning under the actual distribution of relief, there has presidency of H. B. M. Ambassador

been fine co-operation amongst vari- and H. E. The Governor of Hongous groups and persons of all nation- Kong, both of whom have taken an

alities. In one place there was active interest in this humanitarian most whole-hearted co-operation be- work. The Chairman of the Committee tween Government officials, Buddhist has been Sir Herbert Phillips-British philanthropists, Seventh-day Adven- Consul-General-and the Vice-Chair- tists Christians, Viennese Jews, Mis- man has been Sir Robert Calder Mar- sionaries of the Anglican Bible shall-Chairman of the British Cham- Churchmen's Missionary Society and ber of Commerce.

Roman Catholic priests and nuns from France, Canada and the United States of America. British Mission Hospitals have been most active in the work of relief. One report last year noted that some 37 hospitals in Central China had received $55,900 in a period of six months.

official

In spite of their onerous duties, both these gentlemen have given unstintingly of their time, and they and the other members of the Committee have had a busy two years.

Sub-committees under the Chair- manship of the respective British Con- suls-General or Consuls have been formed in Tientsin, Tsingtao, Amoy, Canton, Hankow and Chungking, Kunming and Hong Kong and two local committees have been set up in Ichang and Sian.

These were hospitals of the China Inland Mission, Methodist Missionary Society, Baptist Missionary Society, London Missionary Society, Church Missionary Society, United Church of Canada, Church of Scotland Mission etc.

These sub-committees have all re- Whilst most of the money and sup- ported their needs to, and received plies have gone for the relief of Chin- their money from, the Central Execu- ese refugees, the Central Executive tive Committee in Shanghai which Committee has contributed some finan- has allotted funds and supplies to cial assistance to British residents agencies which have been directly ad- and other foreigners who incurred ministering refugee camps and hospi- suffering on account of the hostilities, tals for the wounded, etc. such as the since this object was included in the International Red Cross, the Mission- aim of the promoters of the Fund. ary Societies of different denomina- Chinese refugees through various re- tions and nationalities, the Salvation llef agencies, have been helped with Army etc. The Central Executive money, food, clothes and medicines. Committee has had four sub-commit- | In Szechuen the Fund has been able tees dealing with the work of Chin- ese refugees, Hospital supplies, Bri- tish Sufferers, and International Suf- ferers.

a committee for the distribution of "medical supplies” was

In Hong Kon

to help orphans, whilst industrial work that has helped towards the rehabilita- tions of refugees has been given financial support.

An uncountable amount of direct and indirect aseletance' has been given

"They came here with their refugee tickets. For each member of a family over four years we gave one dollar Chinese money. Then we put the stamp of the mission with the amount

Money has been given in large amounts and small amounts. One re- cent meeting of the Committee in September allocated eight amounts ranging from £2,000 to $600. During the past two years the total amount allocated by the

Central Executive Committee is approximately. £130,000. As the Committee in London has spent approximately £40,000 on medi- cal supplies and other materials, the reserves in the hands of the Com- mittees in London and in Shanghai are running low. Further contribu- tions will be gratefully received.

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