One of the outstanding features of ihe troubles with which we have been beset is the efficient manner in which the various public utilities continued to function in the face of great difficulties, and I feel that this opportunity should not be lost to extend to the public utilities our appreciation of the manner in which they have proceeded with the work of rehabilitation. I wish also to express our appreciation to the efficient manner in which various defence forces, including the volunteer units, to gether with the police and various other departments of the municipal administrations safeguarded the lives. health and interests of Shanghai residents and many thousands of refugees. of the customs revenues in that region. Since the advent of hostilities large quantities of Japanese goods have entered Shanghai too without payment of duty. This was discontinued, I understand, on March 1. The Japanese authorities stated that military supplies would be brought to China without payment of duty, but it is known that the goods which entered duty-free were by no means confined to this category.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.