At this inaugural meeting of the campaign for $1,000,000 you have heard about the efforts of our Chinese-Foreign Famine Relief Committee in seeking to raise this money My part in this meeting is:—First, to say something of the need of the famine-stricken people—and second, to say a word or two as to our organization for distribution of the funds received.
On the first point I need not give you details of districts where the disastrous typhoons piled up sand and stones as high as' ft on the arable land; or tell you of other lands and homes laid waste by water; or how salt water has made large areas salt and unfit for crops for two years at least. I say, I need not give this meeting more in detail on the need, for in both the, Chinese and Foreign Press ull details have been published from both Chinese and foreigners resident right in the midst of stricken districts.
I want to emphasize the rear need for relief. The presence on this Committee of influential Chinese and foreigners of Shanghai, and
have been meeting every night (fo: the fact that a number of shen hours*at a stretch) for the (past month devising' ways and means to raise money, indicates how mach suffering really exists. Further, some of the well known foreigners of Shanghai have come forward to lend a hand to their Chinese friends in their large-hearted effort to secure funds for the famine stricken people.
On the second point:—The Distribution of Funds—I want to make clear that the relief will be given, so far as possible, in grain, and, where it is feasible, in return for some work of a constructive nature; but of necessity, there will require to be a large measure of food given to the women and children and old men.
We are now collecting defiled results of investigation made in the affected districts by Chinese and foreigners. On this detailed authenticated report, relief the will largely be given.
This distribution is being handled by International Committees centered at Hangchow and Ningpo,: and on these Committees and their Sub-Committees are the Roman Catholic and Protestant missionaries and business men, both Chinese.and foreign, and no better guarantee 6f efficient distribution can be obtained.
Our Chinese-Foreign Famine Relief Committee here keeps. a supervision over the whole work and both Chinese and foreigners on this Committee have wrought together for a period of years and are many wealthy Chinese people handled enough famine distribu-' Shanghai, Nov. 30. tion work to enable us to make the necessary arrangements for a wise division of funds in the famine areas.
In closing, I wish success to the campaign and as I know (from the inside). the amount of work the Campaign Committee has already put in, I can only say that they deserve success in raising even more than the one million aimed
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.