Representatives of Shipping Conspanies Entertained to Dinner "The Ministry of Health National (Quarantine Service entertained re-Bresentatives of Shanghai shipping companies at dinner on December 9 in the Old Carlton private dining oom, more than 30 people attend ug. "The function was in the nature of a "get-together" between the parties concerned in furthering the health of the Port of Shanghai from the point of view of international commerce, All. nationalities, which have to do with coifimeree of Europe, India, America, Jepan and the Islands were present. his opening remarks, Dr. Wa Lich-teh, who was recently a pointed Director of the Quarnt Service, said:
I regret that the Inspector-General of Customs is unable to be present tonight owing to his absence—in Nanking, Mr, Maze and the Shanghai Commissioner rendered me val. able assistance when I assumed charge of the new quarantine servic here. As is well known, the Maritime Customs, in the absence of any other, qualified authority, have hi-thereto administered quarantine services in various places in Chine But in view of the fact that a the riy of Health has been tional Quarantine Service, under
established it is no longer nece: sary for the Customs to perform this extra-Customs work, The transfer of control has been effect-smoothly and satisfactorily, and the Customs authorities are, where necessary, rendering support and assistance to the new quarantine eervico under my direction, as With your wide shipping experience in all parts of the world, there is no need for me to explain the close connection between the health of a port and its commerce, Whatever affects the former affects the latter. In other words, I may modify Lloyd George's famous post-war dictum about 'Maying this country (Great, Britain) fit for heroes to live in' by saying "Make Shanghai safe for shipping to prot In the domain of preventive me-divine our country has for a con, tury been left considerably behind "by progressive nations, but during the last 30 years a now generation of doctors has come into being, doctors who have' learned at the fountain heads and imbibed the dest traditions of famous. colleg: s in Europe, America, China and Japan. Among these you will find men and women of ripe experience, high integrity and intense keenness, rt deportment will do worthy justice to any company, And it is these people whom out Ministry of Health and our Quarantine Service are. doing. our bert to employ, so that they may get on with our foreign colleagues. and sping circles with the least amount of friction in the carrying] out of their several duties, T have no doubt that there may now and then be cause for slight disagree: ment, but with closer understanding and mutual goodwill all diffieultfet will be smoothed over and substantial progress in the development of the Port, both in commerce and health, promoted.
As you know, the Ministry of Health promulgated a set of Quarantine Regulation during July. in the preparation of which we received the assistance of Dr. C. L. Park, head of the Quarantine Service of Austfalia and Chief of the Epidemiclogical Division of the League of Nations Health Sectio.. These regulations have been very] carefully drawn up with a view serving the special needs of Chin, particularly Shanghai, and are regarded by many experts most, up-to the world, With China ratifying the International Sanitary Conve Paris 1926, our quarantine 4s bound to provide for every qu antine emergency and carry on! the articles demanded ju the Convention, so that the world as a whole may benefit by hearty cooperation in the prevention of incom: ing and outgoing communicable disses from this very extensive Re-this big and not-too easy work I request your friendly sympathy and ce-operation, only in this way can we mutually bene!
Beginnings are as a rule difficult, and our service is no exception to the rule, For instance, there was some fear that apart from the youth or inexperience of our quarantine offers discrimination might be shown in favour of certain nationals or companies. You may set your minds at rest on that point. Our young service, with a reputation to achieve, cannot afford to play hide-and-seek, and quarantine work it too serious an affair to be about, Some of you might remember the anxious days created throughout the world in the winter of 1910-11 by the rapid spread of the great pneumonic plague from Siberia through Manchuria to Peking, Tientsin, Dairen, Antung as far as Tsinan "and southern Shantung which caused the death of at east 60,000 persons. The Imperial Government took the initiative in ing an International Plague Conference at Mukden, which recommended among other things the e3- tablishment of the Manchurian Plague Prevention Service, headquarters in Harbin, For 20 years I have been charge of that organization, and it is no affection on my part to claim that our service there has contributed not a little to the security of life and commerce of that vast and promising region of Chine, The beginnings of the Manchurian work were much harder than those of today, for we then had a bare handful of trained doctors while the number has vastly increased to-d With your understanding and help, Thope to make our quarantine work as successful and useful as the Manchurian one, Replying on behalf of the as-rubled delegates, Mr. S. G. Fen ton, of Messrs. Butterfield & Swire, Ltd, said he appreciated the honour of speaking on behalf of ship operators of the port and he would thank Dr, Wu for his hospitality and for the opportunity of meeting him and his officers. He felt sure that all present appreciated the ce-operation which the Health Department of the Li had extended in reorg quarantine service of Chin ing. possible solutions to these problem The speaker pointed out that it was generally recognized tha efficient quarantine service could be made possible by friendly ce-opera tion of this service and the shipping interests, From the point of View of shipping, the speaker felt sure that the greatest ce-operation, would be readily forthcoming, if the primary need of shipping was re-agnized, namely, a service as cheap and simple as possible.
Such a service for a large country as China, much more dificult Decause of ite largeness as compared with smaller countries, could come to a successful consummation gradually; too much should not be attempted at once. The service should grow in a ratio with its trained personnel.
Mr. Fenton thought that it was coxtremely fortunate that a man of of Dr. Wu Lien-teh had ined as director of the Quarantine Service, He said that under his direction the matter of ce-operation of respective interests would be simple indeed, The meeting concluded with a toast to the health of Dr. Wa and the prosperity of the Quarantine Service, Guests present included, R, Schinazi, K. Fawestt, Carriere, C, Ry iiolis, 5. Gordon Fates, person, Bue Moller, a Fingseng, Pai Shik-en, Chin, Ne Ful': bee Cheng-yun, Enpinee Tue French Concession author-according to the "Shunpao, have ordered the police to suppress; the sale of a number of Chinese "mosquito" newspapers containing. inflammatory literature.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.