Mrs. Herman Liew, in accordance with the excellent and tolerant custom of cultured Chinese of minding their own business in religious and social matters, i conducting a Chinese enterprise for the relict of Chinese beggars who are an age-old trid endemic problem in this land. Tam quite confident that Mrs. Lieu ud her band of helpers and_ porters would never dream of expending $5,000 per annum for the support of one "organizer" for even hele "really vast "and complicated Therefore, with all deference to Mrs, Frrcx. I suggest that other people's names and activities be left out of this question which, as T soe it, 1s solely, concerned with the wisdom and desirability of creating a new special job in Shanghai for her friend in America? Let us analys this so-called "indispatisable need' and try to discover what it all amounts to?
So far as the myriads of China itself are concerned it is undoubtedly the concern of the Chinese themselves, and not of foreigners, as 10 whether or not they are interested in providing and paying for scouts to bbe stationed at the Customs jetty and Railway station, to dry-nurse either foolish or inexperienced young females (albeit beautiful or nov) In dodging the alleged bogeys of a wicked world. Therefore, one submits that the wanderings of Chinese young women are the domestic affair of their own people and not of the charitable foreign public resident at But, Mrs. Fire asserts:—"This is not a Chinese problem alone but an international one."
Yet, is it? Viewed from the hard-boiled standpoint of actual conditions and known facts of distance for wondering whether there is even any "problem" about it at all!
The most numerous foreign community here are the Japanese, who mind their own business and Keep a very close tab indeed upon the comings and goings of their people, the incursions of their" beautiful young women do not come into this picture.
Then come the Russian community who already have a number of 0: ganizations for dealing with their People. Then we have the British community who, in their turn, have Jseveral organizations quite capable of guiding any stray young British beauties into the straight and narrow ath of feminine rectitude, who may inadvertently have put themselves (0 the great expense and trouble of exploratory travel to the glamorous Then, of course, numerical sequence brings us to the American community for whose indispensable needs in this connection Mrs. Frrcit can speak with authority. Apparently the recognized inventive genius that is such an Important characteristic of her great country has applied Wself to perfecting the art of what called "Traveller's Ald."
And the happy result 1s, it would seem, that the great ports and railway stations of the United States, are provided with executive organizers and purposeful sleuths, " with desks and all the most modern office equipment, who possess the required uncanny faculty for spotting such travellers as may be of the distressful but beautiful damsel type, and of returning them intact and unspotted to the old home farm.
That seems an admirable activity applied to the other shores of the wide Pacific, but are we really to believe there is a constant stream of young American beauties getting passages from the USA. to China, Who neither know how many beans make five or are able to take caro of themselves on such an Odyssey?
Personally I do not believe that such Is the cuss, Yet T may be mistaken, and T hope that nothing I have said wilt deter any of your American readers from giving their money for this groat need.
We arctoid that this "reform," this progressive step," this "constructive enterprise"—"marks the distinction between having a vision of better conditions and wanting always to maintain the status quo."
To which I reply that 1's no use having visions of bevies of beautiful damsels trooping off the Dollar Lino steamers and clamouring to be saved, until these visions materialise, SUll, those who enjoy these visions should support "the {mportation of the professional executive and' organisor from America who, It to be hoped, will deliver the goods, Apparently "the Community Church Council on Social Issues I behind it through their Sub-Committee (but it is a moral rather than, ancial support)."
It the Community Church good people are wary of backing these visions vith anything more substan. tial than their moral support, one imagines that the test of the charity able public could profit by their example?
In commenting on this matter have not failed to note the highly ingenious (and most up-to-date) element of sox appeal which has been injected into the advocacy to unloosen the purse strings of the charitable, 'That. is' why I suggested transterring the privilege of paying for the Indy from America from the Shang-bat community's already heavily burdened shoulders, to the people over there.
"Traveller's Ald" isan American invention, and what benefit It confers will' certainly remain' with the (Continued on page 127.)
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.