Shanghai, Apr. 17. HEY were in dire need of the help which we can give.
So runs a sentence in one of the several reports sent in by mobile units of the National Christian Service Council for Wounded Soldiers in Transit, and it is typical of the contents of most of them.
'A report received from Mr, A. R. Kepler, general director, from the headquarters in Hankow states that when the force is working at full strength there will be thirty moble units operating in seven sectors, servicing monthly 30,000 wounded soldiers in transit, Working on a monthly operating budget of at least $90,000, it is proposed to cover the following sectors with these—units:—Sian-Tungkuan; Loyang-Hsuchow; North-west Shan-sit Chengchow-Hankow; Wuchang-Changsha; Changsha-Nanchang; and] Nanchang-Tungki, Although the mobile units are still under full strength and badly handicapped by a lack of money abd supplies, they have already made their presence felt to considerable degree, repo coming in indicate.
'One unit, reporting on its typical servicing of 400 wounded soldiers who were being transported from Yenshih to Woman on February 25. (a Journey requiring one day' and two nights), states that the majority of the men wee really seriously wounded, yet "they were lying on nothing but the bare cold iron floor of the car." All available straw was Dought and strewed about the oer, but' there was "no fire, nor lamp) nor light of any kind," and there! were no cotton-wadded garments to distribute, "In order to cheer the spirit of the wounded," continues tne report, "we lighted candies, told them some alones, sang to them and gave them ome current news..,....they were very grateful for our services, even hough' it was very lo we' could "Substantial Meat"
At Hulhsin, however, the train was delayed when one of the coaches was derailed. "Most of the wounded had been without food for eighteen. hours and no food was available at Hulhsin, Two members of the party accordingly walked to the next star tion and when the train arrived, "our men were already waiting for the train with a supply of food. The! wounded soldiers then had a_ sub: stantial meal, Unfortunately, owing to the limited amount of money on hand, we could not furnish " them with' any more food for the next] Afteen hours."
Yet despite this, the reports state quite definitely that the soldiers: are not disheartened, even though in some cases they had not eaten for two days, and for five days their wounds had not been dressed.
The regional director of the frst sector has sent in a lengthy report covering %4 hours servicing on train, not by a unit but by himself alone, the other members of his party being engaged with another train, He found the men in a pitiful star he reports, with no blankets covering, nothing to eat and their Wounds not dressed, Many of then were moaning and "I was wondering whether I was in Hell, for such a pitiable scene certainly does not belong to this earth, There were three other persons accompanying the soldiers—n eon, @ head nurse and an assistant, 'The four of them got to work. immediately, doing what they could to make then comfortable "and easier. 'The length of the report does nol permit of its being reproduced in full here, unfortunately, "but one paragraph' should be mentioned:— of the wounded is greatly intensified. Secondly, their needs exceed the! limited "help which we can render, especially with regard to re-dressing their wounds. Therefore I hope our} team workers will do our best. rect their needs and the various ganizations will contribute" more money to bring relief (o, and lessen the degree of suffering of, these wounded soldiers and officers."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.