Mr, Wilkinson's references to Berkshire were capped by the Consul-General who pointed out that not only was Berkshire a Royal County in that it [was responsible for the King's Castle at Windsor, but attached to that castle was the famous St, George's Chapel, to which the Society must always look as the chief shrine of its patron saint. Mr. Phillips felt that a reply in lighter vein would hardly be appropriate when so much suffering and misery was being witnessed on every side. During the period of stress att danger the English and other British communities in Shanghai had worthily upheld the interests of the Empire especially in the manner in which they had striven to succour the least fortunate of their fellow country-men and women. Mr. Phillips said that he understood that the resources of the local branch had been severely strained by the frequent calls recently made upon them. He was glad therefore to ye able to tell them that a portión of the big "Relief Fund for Distress in China" now being raised in Great Britain was to be allocated for British hospitals and British subjects in distress, A strong Central Executive Committee was on the point of being established at Shanghai for the distribution and control of the funds and the needs of national Societies and other special British organizations would not be overlooked. At the same time, he added that naturally the greater part of the Fund would be for Chinese sufferers.
Mr. Phillips concluded his remarks by again thanking the President and the members of the Committee for the honour paid to him and expressed his great pleasure at still finding so many old friends among them.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.