In "The Chinese Reorder" for workin the eld, and December an anonymous correspon-operation with Chinese official dent outlines his ideas of a per~ gentry, 1 am convinced that" the manent, organisation to deal with Gne. practical effective method in famine. relief. Incidentally the handling a famine crisis in China Recorder" in drawing attention to in these days, is through a selected this letter, gracefully repairs an individual who is given a great deal mission with the following editorial of authority and liberty in execu note tive "action, The famine tele organization, upon the emergence ofa famine, should immediately lect a well-tried competent _in: reference was nade to the work of the: dividual as Director, and then' back Beitish Navy: which, through: H. 3M, up with funds as fast_as they Hermes, not only can be" got to" him. The—Di-Fector. If he covers a wide {the flooded area." fron, must follow' the same_plan omission of the effort bf the munity in Shanghai to send the "various provinces or districts, Setting Is reprecentanices bel Moller Hospital Shit to Han fud then backing them up by press: ing fonds or supplies upon them faras such can. be" properly fede should not wait 'Unit he asked for funds but with kpowby. the foreign comnianity Tage of the "existing conditions, find' of his resources actual possible, he allocates with a fair Fante of balance, and remits with: for instance the oldest out delaye Of course. Tegulations 'e-roreigh Famine feet Commit concerning proper use of funds and Survea wel E, ition dollars: their accounting must Be followed. When the crisis is. past the jnector's work is ended and the relief committee: proceeds to func: ton normally.
apace. ~The. anonymous correspondent, "My experience has been that for amine crises the direction through voterred to above, writes: committee is not the swiftest nor 'Quite recently' you did me the honour of inviting me to write an fairest nor most effective manner Jastiele on famine relief in China fof dealing' with them, but that an for Missionary Recorder, "but of able" directorship of' one person With the backing of "loyal com: "decossty, T felt unable. to comply Writh the request at that time.
Titec "is the' "most "salstactory Yeasons for refusing still hold good, plan. yet I want to point out somethin Committees are usually inthe larger "centres, "and. somehow or which T-consider touches' the sub-Which has come to my notice other they are' moved "mostly by fos on. its practical side Sie John the stiuadions: or individuals ° neat fat hand, while the voice from the Burope this summer after strenulope Simpson, who returned us Mark. s Director-General of iatance is heard but Taistis, Tf the away appeals are heard at all the China National Flood Relief Inevitabhy there: comes. the Fe= 'Commission, has been reporting quest from the comnttee for more the work accomplished and his detailed information, for sorite' con Statements have been very syn ftete schemes, and forthe names fof the committee menibers" who are to. cary. the "responsibility, 'A letter from these correspontially received. uch like. 'The' persons dents in the 'Times Weekly Edition Tanking the original requests: wear (London) of September 22, com-their hearts out trying to move the menting favourably on Sit' John's committee to make grants, and then Very Impersonal account of the when after Tong delay: the funds are rout work done, has the following ranted these same persons have to fo {arn to and do the relief work them.
"the Veson to be lournt: from Selves. A. Director for the Taming ould chievoment* la that it i ati posal Tagdest mecgunt. of, a arent, perso fo carry out works of universal slay an ed tape that in provi ott in" the competent hands vor Chine if they are sly for the job. pasting was competent and big enough
individuaiecunhampered. by 'The most satis(ying famine relief of work that T-have get. known was tonal nature, {that of the National Flood "Relief After a long period of residence Commission this year. Under Chi-China, in' which since 1910 T nese control thingé had not been have been c nto help Ing well ina certain province: fie many strenuous relief campaigns, T representatives. of the 'Commission were honest and good men, but they could not. stand "alone against. the pon 'To their "personal" a with the statement of these corres ary, and evil" powers. and '39 there' Were reports" of misuse of international" I would add "missionary," for it American. wheat "and" other: abuses. the missionary [by was desperate, for who has to carry the brunt of relief work in China, and this being so temptation greatly to be guarded aifainst is that of using the opportunity of administering relief to promote the cause of the Jmiiasion, This may be int mot wien they are public tntcasted we. the, missionary. for wey would also add something more ihe correspondents statement. Would aad that she "single Indivie dunt" should be a. Westerner:
Ag conditions are now it would 2e'absolutely impossible for, a: Chie ese to. handle. such a situation, however honest and able he might be personally. Neither world it be Ghinese and" forogners of equal patible for a joint committee of
authority {0 do so, except with the greatest difficulty. This was possible ten years ago but not Yow 'The question would naturally arise-as to the need of joint famine organizations if "single individuals' are. to direct the work, "These joint, Chinese-International relief organizations have still a most important work to perform, in (1) thely study of famine causes
prevention, a in act and experimentation in famine that they are the machine ready to_function in famine crises.
'Before these famine. societies game into. existence, whenever famine occurred. it took months before an organization could be moulded and got to work, "so. that alnable time' was lost. "A "famine is always a crisis, which you can seldom forecast until it is Tight on you.
With a large knowledge of the inner workings of famine committees, as well as of practical People. were dying' of starvation, End wheat harvest was only" two months "ahead. The Ditector-General arranged for the appoint: ment of a small committee of three, five Chinese who: were already ye: Presentatives "of the Commission, one foreigner.
The provincial authorities had also humlied their representatives to Serve with this. special committee, But it was finally conceded that they should Keep thole hands off. The tive members: were "congenial fpinit and had "ideas in comrion, was not tong: before it be-Jame a practical necessity for the mility to be centred in one Within a week of ergal sation relief was being adminste fed ina fave districts, and i three Weeks time over thirt) With taels. Ghinese assoc ce-operation with el gentry, were busy" administering fSmergeney reli in some. fife feoanties. Although groups worked together. yet usually" one. reliable person is'each district was held Solely" responsible. No appeals were' made tothe" Director-General orate: "Asan were forth coming he telegraphed "his repre, entative'" in "the province, the jaunts allocated or available to located if required, and ired to the local heads, stating the amounts each could have if actually needed, and forwarding those amounts at once when requests for them arrived. "Tt was a whirlwind campaign, and therefore was not ideal in many ways, for time_wae too short, but very effective, and, gresi, numbers of people were rough a veritable valley lof death, up to the wheat harvest.
The "Times" correspondents "xpress the hope that the work inaugurated in China during this year may not be allowed to cease, and
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.