To the Editor of the "Norta-Cuina Dairy News."
Sir,—Certain local papers. recently informed the public that a strike had taken place among the ricsha coolies. I am in. a position to contradict this statement. It is a fact, however, that a serious attempt was made by other parties to create a strike among the ricsha men, and had it succeeded, such a strike, following those already in operation here, might have turned Shanghai into a Bolshevik camp:
In my letter to you of June 26, I said that, taking the ricsha men as a whole, they are found to be peaceable law-abiding men, and that neither in past years nor at the present time have I ever discovered any trace of Bolshevist tendencies.
Mr. Bruce Lockhart, in a letter to the "China Press" has stated "that the conditions of the Shanghai ricsha man)s. life—aggravated by a rigorous and almost ruthless Police supervision—invite—_ Bolshevism and justify Bolshevism." This is a very grave allegation to make, and it is entirely unfounded, There is nothing to suggest that these men are drifting into Bolshevism. The '"Ricsha Mission" is in close touch with them and its experience of their temper and attitude vis-a-vis the local authorities is quite different. This Mission further exercises a restraining and beneficial - influence upon these coolies. Since 1913 close on; two millions of men, women and children have received practical instruction in the "Ricsha Mission" halls and in the open air. The far-reaching results of the Mission's work can scarcely be over-estimated. From 10 to 15 provinces are represented nightly in the Mission halls, the ricsha men coming to the meetings from all the quarters of Shanghai where they dwell—East Gate, and_ West Gate of the Native City, French Town, Yangtszepoo, etc. In consequence of the spirit which prevails amongst them, all efforts to bring about a strike have hitherto completely failed, in spite of the example of many other sections of the Chinese working classes.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.