Dec, 23.
The growing influx of Jewish refugees from Central Europe into Shanghai is a fea~ ture of present political conditions which is, already giving rise to considerable anxiety in local authoritative circles, During the past seventeen months the charity of Shanghai has been strained to the utmost by the demands which have been made upon it in order to care for the many thousands of Chines fugees who sought shelter in the fo areas immediately upon the outbreak of hostilities. Fortunately the large numbers Which had to be cared for have considerably diminished, but there is still a large number of indigents who have to be fed and housed, and will probably continue to be in need until conditions are such that they will again be able to return to their homes in the country, but, even then, there will be the problem to be faced of supplying them with the wherewithal to resume earning their own livelihoods, There is also the probability that the longer present abnormal conditions are permitted to continue, the greater will be the danger of creating a definitely pauperized class with a perpetual demand upon the good nature of the community. The manner in which Shanghai has responded to the re~ quests for assistance is something which redounds greatly to the credit of the various sections of the community, and during the last seventeen months the largeness of Shanghai's heart has been demonstrated in. a manner which has astonished even those who realize how charitably inclined it is. 'This present influx of refugees presents difficulties Which have not existed in previous years when Shanghai has been called upon to do its best for them. 'The advent of the Russian refugees in their' thotisands following the revolution does not. provide a parallel, for then there was only the one problem to be faced. Today the situation is complicated by the fact that Shanghai burdened with its own domestic difficulties arising out of the Sino-'Japanese hostilities, is obliged by force of circumstances over which it has absolutely no control, to assume the responsibilities of caring for thousands of refugees from Europe who have nowhere else to go.
With well over a thousand refugees from Germany and Austria already in Shanghai the city is faced with the probability that with each successive ship from Europe more hundreds will be brought in, and it is con-Adently expected that by the end of March somewhere in the neighbourhood of 4,000 newcomers will have been added to the foreign community. That does not tell the whole tale, for it is obvious that even more than that may be expected during the ensuing months, and by the end of the year unless means are found for diverting them elsewhere that total may be very considerably swelled."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.