To the Editor of the "Norra-Caiva Dairy News."
Sir,—The Chinese - Foreign Famine Relief Committee, as already reported to you, realizing the serious conditions existing in Chekiang, ave taxing energetic steps, as far as possible, to meet the need We have had a meeting here with delegates from the Ningpo-Shaohing International Committee and the Hangchow International Famine Relief Committee, and settled the division of the whole province under these two Committees; this to prevent overlapping and to try to cover the whole affected area. The division made is the obvious one as divided by the Chinese arrangement for the whole province. The Ningpo-Shaching International—Committee will look after Ningpo, Shaohing, Taichow, Wenchow and Chuchow; while the Hangchow International Famine Relief Committee will cara for Hangchow, Kashing, Huchow, Kinhua, Chiichow and Yenchow.
Both Committees at Ningpo and Hangchow are now at work making further and more complete investigations as to the number of people and area affected, etc, and they will report to us. However, it is very evident from the duly authenticated reports we now have, and from separate accounts published in all the newspapers, that very large sections of Chekiang are in a bad way, and, even at this stage, thousands are homeless and without food and clothing.
In addition to the $50,000" reported in your columns a little over two week ago, we have sanctioned a further relief to the extent of $150,000, making in all $200,000 which our Committee here has authorized to be spent under the supervision of the aforesaid International Committees at Ningpo and Hangchow.
A missionary, whii2 out om a tour of investigation for the Ningpo-Shaching Committee, was stopped by people clamouring for food; and if this is the condition now, all our famine relief experience tells us that in another few months' time the famine-pinch will be felt in a wider area.
It is hardly possible to describe the damage done by wind and water; but to know that in many districts the land ig in sugh state that no autumn or spring crops will be possible gives sutficient indication of what is before these poor folk within the next nine months or so, I am, ete., Wu. E. Souter.
Chinese-Foreign amine Relief Committee. 7
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.