Pictures reproduced in the "North-China Daily News" during the last few days illustrate vell the menace to health which exists in the newly grown squatter villages which have taken root in many parts of the International Settlem The difficulty of meeting the demand for accommodation from refugees with a little means inside the zone which is safe from the depredations of the opposing forces around Shanghai are recognized. I would be inhuman to deny these unfortunates the attenuated safety which is guaranteed by the barbed wire manned by B; American, French, and Italian troops. At the same time there seems to be an urgently called for need to limit the abuses which have arisen in these impromptu camps.: In the Magazine Section on Sunday there was a view of one of these camps with a broken coffin in the foreground This sight is: deplorably too common around Shanghai at the moment. With the hot weather coming on. repetition of it is likely to be dangerous. The Health Department can be relied upon to do all that it can to diminish the danger to the public, but its staff mey not be bit enough to inform the different departments in time whose business it is to clear away these coffins. There thus devolves a duty upon the public." When insanitary situations are developing, the Public Health Department should immediately be told about them. If the necessary action is not then taken, there is a recourse to publicity. E
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.