To the Editor of the ae} "NonTH-CHINA Datty News!
Dear Sir—The letter in your yesterday's issue from "Hopeful, North China," is best answered by a concrete example of what 1 mean by red-tape and hopeless interference from self-appointed outsiders, The following facts came accidentally to my noziee two days ago. This Peking International Famine Relief Comittos: seat a spe: cal representative all tio way to Szechuen to investigate cond tions; and he was certainty not a li His hurried, ant 1 fear flurried. visit resulted in couclisions not at keeping wish the facts. as tthe report written by some most experienced mission "To correct rathior mislead~ of the rev ive of the Pel jet Committee." This report is a polite way of telling the Peking Committee "here to get off."
T want to state once again that no Committee in Pekirz—or, for that matter of it in Shanghai or Hankow—can handle a famine problem in far off Szechuen or Kwei-Chow. Why than do they interfere? The only men in a position to know the facts and to direct proper meos ures of relief are the men on the spot; and they will do the job welt fand at much less cost when giv:
free hand and not hindered by red-ape, The only hopeful sign will be when self-appointed bodies get out of the way and allow this Surtax money to be sent direct to tthe local committees, with only the usual safeguards, that the local committees be international, and that the accounts be publicly audited.
To say that the people are now ying is no harrowing tale, Zor the roadside is littered with bodies: and with the people now waiting for food, 20 weak that they cannot even fg roots for a living," it is nex gence to talk of road work and bridge-building, ete. When people can wait for this Lind of relict Si—May [ask the kegs pur eotamns (2 give way enfalr to: policy of this ea abject proof of amity towards China, then insist upon endiftzation of living clary, and the si: uation have was not worse then than it wit: he after the idea of the cable referred t2 will have been realized. ut T eoasider it 3 violation of China's sovereign rights.
not see the ne now for one weason it were not possible to a:
rely on the ast equal rights, would the wrong made.
Thanking you for the space, Tam, et
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.