4th Feb.
Tus long-desired Institution, and it is obvious how much it is now required, in a city that has grown as rapidly as Shanghai has done since the war between China and Japan, and is still growing, is in a fair way of being built at last. Those who felt that the scheme finally selected for the disposition of the funds collected to erect a permanent British memorial of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee was too large, have had their objection justified, for it has been found necessary to invite aid from other nationalities, though the original intention undoubtedly was that this should be an exclusively British memorial, to be presented to Shanghai in memory of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, for the use and benefit of all nationalities. It will, no doubt, be something of a disappointment to many British subscribers that their Committee have been unable, with the best will and the most unremitting exertions, to cut their coat according to their cloth, or to secure cloth enough to make the coat they wanted; but after all, the regret at this is only a sentiment; the cost of the new buildings comes as to three-fourths from British subjects, and when the Committee accepted a site for their building from the Municipality, it ipso facto ceased to be an exclusively British memorial, The request for assistance from other nationalities having become inevitable, the Committee were undoubtedly' right to accept the inevitable, as were the subscribers right in confirming the decision of the Committee, as they did at the meeting on Thursday afternoon. The great thing is to have an institution where trained nurses can be procured to go to the homes of patients, and where patients can be nursed and tended, a still greater thing is it to have an institution where nurses can be trained, so that another career may be opened to the girls of Shanghai, and we can provide the skilled care and attention that are often wanted and too often sought in vain, without having to send home to England.
The Committee have come to the conclusion, said the Chairman of the meeting, Mr. Wade Gard'ner, that British residents having shown their sympathy with the scheme by subscribing the substantial sum of Tls. 22,000, the time has arrived when we may appeal to our fellow-residents of other nationalities, who will participate equally in the benefits to be derived from the institution, and ask them for their support. "We were gratified to find," he added, "that when it was known that our funds were insufficient, a number of ladies came forward and offered to assist us by organising a Bazaar to be held then paid a well-deserved compliment to "the ladies" generally. While we are rather inclined to agree with M. Campbell that, it having been distinctly stated when the project was! first mooted that none but British subjects could subscribe to the institution, the Committee should make another effort to secure the remaining small sum necessary amongst British subjects only—and we! believe there are several who! would increase their subscriptions if this were done—we are quite ready to take the committee's word for it—and it is no use putting an affair) like this in the hands of a Committee if their word is not to be taken—that the time has come to ask outside assistance; in fact, as we have said,! the principle of this was conceded, when the resolution was passed at the last Ratepayers' Meeting authorising the erection of the institute on Municipal property. i 'The situation could not be better described than it was at' the meeting on Thursday by Mr.! Anderson "Whilst our scheme is British in inception, and the memorial would be called the Victoria Nursing Institute, the work to be done in it and by it, the training of nurses and the healing of the sick, is cosmopolitan, and cannot but think every British sub-} ject will look upon every subscription of other nationalities as a compliment, nor can I think of a more fit-! ting way of raising money than by} accepting the assistance of the ladies of Shanghai, who have so kindly offered to do all they can to further the interests of the Memorial."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.