To the Editor of the "NontH-Cuina Dany News."
Sin,—When rouding the correspondence in the Municipal Guzette this morning' between the Red Cross and the Council, one matter seemed to the writer as not having been given sufficient attention. I refer to what is to become of the many wounded soldiers, brought into the Settlements for" treatment after they are discharged? T have been told that the policy adopted by the Military is to send the more slightly wounded men, who will probably be of further use in the Army, Woosung, but the more seriously in-Jured, and therefore of little potential value as the Shanghai hospitals. Tt has also been stated that the Red Cross other hospitals are not receiving a cent from the military or other authorities towards the cost of treatment and keep of the patients. Not only so but the soldier's pay ceases when he is wounded. Many of these oer chaps will, we hope, recover. If} understand the Council's decision uvight, these men when well can be discharged from hospital only they must not wear uniform. What then fare they to do?
We read to-day in your valued paper of the good work of the police, in rounding up a number of: dad characters and putting them over the border. What is to become of these northern soldiers, far from home and many with no homes at all, stranded without money or friends in Shanghai? Is there not a great danger that they will drift into bad ways and become perhaps 'a menace to the Settlements, for here there are many opportunities for such and many worthless people who will be glad of such recruits? May we not look forward to an i ereaxe of bandits, robbers, thieves and beggars'?
Some who know a little about these matters feel that it was a wrong policy on the part of the Councils to allow even wounded soldiers within the Settlements, and T for one am glad that our senior hospital has decided that it can~ not take any in, For these are not Jocal men, both sides largely using Shantung'and Chihli men who have eon recruited in the districts where flood and famine have made life hurd and where men are glad to do anything for a living. It'is known that for some months past Gen. Lu hax been sending his Chekiang: Soldiers to the more distant parts of the province and calling in his northern soldiers to Hangchow, knowing probably that Chekiang ind Kiangsu men would not willingly fight against one another—they are too much akin, Agiain T ask what is to become of these men when discharged from our local. hospitals? If the war is prolonged, there are likely to be a Tavge number and we have more than enough unemployed and uncemployables here already. Of course 'a wounded soldier is to be pitied and helped anywhere and the Red Grosse work is in every way most praiseworthy, but there is abundance of accommodation 0} the Settlement limits—hospitals, go~ downs, ete., owned by Chinese, and any amount of vacant land upon which hospital huts could be qi ly erected with funds supplied by those responsible for the war if they would only do so, Why then should the foreign Settlements be burdened with the care of the wounded who in every other civilized country fare looked after by the Military Authorities? It may become a very serious problem for Shanghai and T {feel that the Councils ought to give. the matter their most earnest consideration.
Tam, ete,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.