Compulsorily Occupied by Hankow Administration The following statement has been issued by the Kuling Council:
It will be readily understood that it has been. quite impossible to prepare the Council's usual annual report and financial statement for the past year. The evacuation of Kaling early in 1927, "followed shortly by the exodus of many foreigners from inland places, the gathering of so many for a ti fu Shanghai, and then the grade dispersal of many thus evacuated to the home lands, are facts all too well known to need recapitulating here. When it became necessary for all American and British people to leave Kuling, Mr, Lipporte was taken into the temporary employ of the Council, and for several months rendered very efficient help in the estate, superintending the Chinese staff, who, for the most part, continued to render loyal service. During the carly spring, several members of the Council were living in Shanghai, and, keeping in touch through the post with what was taking place on Kuling, held Council meetings as long as it was possible to obtain a quorum.
Early in April, a special landrenters meeting was called in Shanghai by the Council, to report on efforts which were being made to secure the safety of all public' property on Kuling, such as the hospital, library, ete. forming a Limited Company this property for the Landrenters, Considerable work was put into this scheme, but, before it could be completed, great changes in the political situation rendered all such proposals abortive, and the matter was perforce dropped. From May until the middle of July, although there were not sufficient" members of the Council in Shanghai to hold Council meetings, and both Mr. Savage, the estate secretary, and Mr. Reid, the outdoor superintendent, had resigned, Kuling matters were still attended to by the one or two members remaining in Shanghai, assisted by Mr, Ying, the head Chinese clerk, who had been compelled to flee from Kuling, and, having come to Shang-was kept there by the Council to help out.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.