Association, who presided said:
'Mr. Calder Marshall has' spoken about the activities of the Joint Committee so thoroughly that there are but few subjects that it is inoum= bent on me to cover and T shall not therefore detain you long.
As in the previous two years the Association in conjunction with the Chamber and the British: Resitests' Association conducted a straw. vole to decide on the British voters" choice as to the official British ticket! lof candidates for the Council. If an election for the Council hit been found necessary the plans were all prepared to place before British voters the issues at stake and. 10 endeavour to. secure a solid British vote in favour of tie status quo, Fortunately this was avoided "und when I say fortunately 1 de so bee cause no election could have' tak, Place under present circumstances: without leaving soreness in sts wake and there are enough possibilities of friction and misunderstanding ax it fs without adding to the Financial Assistance In August last when the dist-evs, present and potential, occasioned by the war was apparent we took up with "our London Conimittoe the question of invoking financial assist ance from home as it was patent that that problem was far beyond the ability of the local community to cope With. There were diffcultios at home {o\ be surmounted but the London Committee in collaboration with Missionary bodies and other sympathisers with the Chinese nation in the sore straits in which so many found themselves, were eventually successful in persuading the Lord Mayor to sponsor a Mansion House appeal. The collections to date are well over £100,000 to which must be jadded many gifts of medical supplies, clothing and invalid foods, all of utmost. value. The London end is run by a strong and representative Committee whilst the administration here is under the Joint Presidency of the British Ambassador and. th Governor of Hongkong. The Central Executive Committee functions Shanghaj under the Chairmanship of our Consul-General and branch Committees have been formed at Tientsin, Hankow, Tsingtao, Canton and Amoy. The personnel of these Committees comprises delegates from represent ative British associations and Mis sionary workers who have applied themselves to the wise distribution of money and materials in a vigorous, businesslike but withal sympathetic zeal. To countless thousands the belt liven has been a priceless boon and Great Britain may certainly be said to have played its part well tempting to alleviate the untold suffering of those stricken down by no fault of their own. As must_in the nature of things be the ease the major part of assistance has gone to Chinese but the needs of our fellow nationals have by no means been overlooked nor have those of other nationalities been neglected.—Thie work continues and the need will 1 verily fear outlast the supply funds to alleviate it, but in. this respect T hope events will prove me to be unduly pessimistic.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.