At first the International Committee sold rice so that such resources could be rotated in the service of those who had no money with which to purchase rice. It was planned that, just as soon as conditions quieted down enough, private rice stores could open, and the Committee would cease such sale, The Self-Governing Committee was ready to open a rice shop on January 10, so from that date the Committee stopped selling rice from relief stocks. But the second day the Japanese stopped the supply of rice to that shop and since then have not allowed any rice to be sold within the Zone.
A week later the Self-Governing Committee was able to open two rice shops in the southern part of the city, a mile from the southern boundary of the Zone. This was at the order of the Japanese in order to force people to move out of the Zone. But without the restoration of order amongst the Japanese troops in those areas, the people are afraid to return home.
These two assignments of supplies io the Self-Governing Committee totalled only 2,200 bags of rice and 1,000 bags of flour. It is estimated it would take 1,600 bags of rice per day to feed the 250,000 people. People have existed on private family stocks which are now rapidly running out. Unless determined and efficient arrangements are made for supplying rice and fuel to this population, serious famine conditions will result. All attempts by the International Committee to purchase food supplies stored outside Nanking or in Shanghai for relief purposes have been refused by the Japanese authorities.
Enough for one Month The International Committee has funds for purchase of foodstuffs and fuel here if it is permitted. Food supply on hand will feed 50,000 people dependent on that at present for less than thirty days. An appeal was sent to Shanghai for $50,000 for purchasing supplementary foods there and a ready response was received. But so far no permission has been secured to ship foodstuffs. 1t the International Committee is not permitted to purchase food supplies directly, it may have. to resort to cash relief—which is much more difficult to administer. But there are some problems developing that can probably be solved in no other way.
A sub-committee on rehabilitation has been working on a survey and
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.