CO129-571-18 League of Nations- medical aid for China and reduced cable rates 8-2-1938 - 30-1-1939 — Page 19

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to assist the Chinese Red Cross, but the Committee has to be

particularly careful that such funds would be used solely for

Red Cross purposes, and therefore strictly neutral. A few

months ago we had an application for motor trucks for the

conveyance of wounded from the front to the base hospitals,

but we felt that we could not make an allocation for this

purpose because we had no guarantee that such trucks would

not be used for other purposes, if the emergency arose,

(3), with regard to the appeal for tents, we note that Sir Archibald Clark Kerr supports Dr. Robert Lim's appeal for help in the provision of 50 tents for dressing stations, and 500 tents for accommodating wounded of the standard pattern used by the British Army.

The Executive Committee feels that

before it can sanction such an allocation it would want to be

certain that the Central Executive Committee in Shanghai, who have hitherto allocated the funds which have been sent out, agree

to a sum of money being used for this purpose, and it would also like a report from the Shanghai Committee upon the probability of delivery to the base from which Dr. Robert Lim is now working. This is especially important in view of the fall of Hankow and

Canton, for it might mean that the tents would have to be sent

via Indo-China and Yunnan, A third enquiry which is being

made is as regards the cost of the tents.

May I, therefore, ask that a cable may be transmitted to

the Central Executive Committee of the British Relief Fund in

Shanghai which would read as below, and that we may have the

reply so that the Executive Committee may have the guidance of

their Central Executive Committee in Shanghai.

"TO/