Refugees who are Ready to go Back to Russia if Means Can be Obtained The first meeting of the newly-formed Refugee Relief Advisory Committee took place on Thursday afternoon, the 5th instant, in the Charity Organization rooms, 5a Soochow Road, those present being Miss M. Jensen, Mrs. W. A. White, Messrs. P. J. Blumenthal, G. A. Moszkovski. Gilbert E. Poet and S. W. Wolfe. Mr. Wolfe was elected to the chair.
Commenting upon criticism which had been heard to the effect that the Committee. as it now stands is not sufficiently influential, Miss Jensen stated that invitations to attend the two recent meetings called by the Charity Organization had been sent to a number of persons of social and financial prominence. On_ the proposal of Mr. Poet, a minute was noted in the record of the Committee's proceedings that the members of this Committee have only accepted office through default of others ju coming forward who might be better qualified, and are ready at any time to make way for such when they offer their services, or to assist them in every way possible if required.
The rumoured closing at an early date of the Community Kjtchen in North Szechuen through lack of funds was discussed, and in view of the fact that more than 400 refugees obtain their solitary daily meal at the kitchen it was felt that this would be a public calamity which everything possible should be done to avert. Miss Jensen was deputed to see the authorities of the Community Church, and to ascertain from them in what ways this Committee can best help to keep the kitchen going, also to increase its output of meals, if possible from 400 to 500 per day.
Mr. Poet placed before the Committee a detailed plan whereby statistics of all refugee relief work being done in Shanghai at present should be obtained from the various Benevolent Societies, etc., engaged therein, together with information as to how far their work is likely to be overlapping the work of others, or in what ways it falls short of requirements and_ needs assistance. It was decided to adopt this scheme and to have the necessary questionnaire forms printed and circulated with all possible speed.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.