No tribute delivered in Parliament has ever been better deserved than that which hag just been paid to Dr, Forbes Tocher of Ichang, who was so largely instrumental in securing the release of Captain Lalor from the hands of the bandits who held him to ransom. So slow are communications from the upper Yangtze these days that we have rot yet received the full story of his efforts, the dangers he ran, and the degree of his own personality which entered into the successful negotiation of the release. It will, however, be apparent to readers that in this case he hes played a part very similar to that which Mr Start did in 1923 when she went imminent peril on the Indi Afghan frontier to secure the release of Miss Mollie Ellis, who had been captured by reiders. In the ordinary routine of daily work we are apt to lose sight of the special position of the missionary in on: midst, and we fail to grasp what a great' personal influence they can wield in the district where they wo1 We can see how this has been in operation during these trying days for Captain Lalor, and we should be very thankful that there is this particular influence which can do such work among turbulent and Iawless people upon whom even the: local warlord cannot exercise press. ure. It must be remembered that the action of Dr. Tocher is not an isolated instance, but that we are indebted many times over to the self-sacrificing courage of such tionalities to make their contri tion to the Christmas of the Defence!
Force, and so much has the spirit which prompted that act spread to others, that we believe there is not 'a. single nation represented in Shanghai that is not doing something to make this the huge success deserves to be, We may trust that the news of how this fund es]
ported will travel far and wide, is going to prove something far more than what it set out to be.
It is showing definitely, for one thing, that the bitterness of the Great War has been ended—at any rate in our international community' here. Among generous subscribers fare now many Germans, as well a those of other countries who had a liliand on the side of the contest which was not ours, and this is magnificent sign. We take it as an omen of friendship in the years to come, and that whatever has happened in the past we can look forward to cordial relations in the future. And in saying this we! shall make it a point to remember the work on this oceasi members of these 13. nat particular, Meantime the different] committees in charge of recreation centres for soldiers and sailors havel made excellent arrangements for entertainment during the coming festive days, and there should be fas merry a season as has ever been seen in Shanghai.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.