IN a New Year message to the citizens of Shangh: i, General Wu Te~ chen, the Mayor, wishes them compliments of the season and sets forth his hopes and plans for the coming year.
He outlines an ambitious programme of cultural, educational, industrial and municipal development and sounds an optimistic note regarding the future of Shanghai, He invites his fellow-citizens to reaffirm their faith and confidence in the fulfilment of the plans visioned for what he terms "the Greater Shanghai of To-morrow.
His message reads:
The past three years have been the most dif cult and distressing period 15 Primary Schools will also be the history of this Municipality. established in the central and outiy-'When the Government and the Ing areas within Greater Shanghai. Party appointed me Mayor, the 'Housing Devel "Shanghai Incident" was just' pass~ Social Reconstruction—Housing ing through a critical stage. To cope with the difeult situation, every lg-a primary need of the people. effort was made, Orstly, for the Always a. serious problem in any restoration of order and social large city of the world, it is especial. stability; and then for the relief of ly_so in this municipality. the war victims and the rehabita-'The work of reconstruction has tion of the devastated areas. made some progress in this respect Since the removal of the Municipal {in recent years. Due, however, to the Government to its new buildings in general economic "depression, the October a year ago, I have, in plight of the people has become accordance with the bequeathed creasingly dificult.
Endless rows of straw huts may be teachings of the late Party Leader (Dr, Sun Yatesen) and, in pursuance seen, and the dwellings are often so of the plans isid down by my preprimitive and insanitary that hey decessors, endeavoured to promote provide a fertile breeding-ground for the development of the Civic Centre, disease, The aged and the weak are and the cultural reconstruction of this too often homeless and destitute; the city. sight is indeed heartrending.
'A situation ike this 1s not only a On Way to Recovery disgrace to our city, but is also a Although, due to limitations of serious menace to public health, It time and money, I dare not claim to demands therefore immediate rect have achieved riy remarkable refection, sults, yet, thanks to cordial co-'We hope to raise a special fund of operation from various quarters and tone million dollars this year for the the assistance of the Municipal staff, construction of six model villages, it may be said that this city is comprising 8,000 houses for the work~ slowly but surely on the way 10 recovery, That 1s, indeed, some consolwaon; and, despite our painful recollections, we, must continue to make plans for the active reconstruction of our city, Statecraft, according to the sages of old, should concentrate on the education and the livelihood of the people, This principle is as vital tonday as it has ever been.
'Moreover, in view of the great devastation' suffered by this ing space" to work for the restoration of our former prosperity.
At the same time, Shanghai being tone of the chief cultural centres of the country, we must not lag in our efforts for "the promotion and tine provement of education,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.