The- Sino-Japanese hostilities occurred soon after the Automobile Club of China had instituted attractive new features which provided members with valuable road facilities, and these, of necessity, had to be tempora arily suspended as a result, the chairman of the Club, Mr. H, Tiefenbacher, pointed out at the annual general meeting held yesterday afternoon at the offices of the secretaries, 17 The Bund. Tt was the" intention of the committee, the chairman continued, to resume road patrols immediately this became practicable, and by this means obtain as quickly as possible information regarding the condition of roads and bridges. A general survey of all main motor roads will be undertaken, and information furnished to members regarding routes which are open for use, and the best means of reaching various points of importance.
The chairman continued:
A survey will also be made of hotel accommodation and repairs service available along the main arteries, I fear that stop-over accommodation has suffered considerably and even in cases where no damage has been done it will probably be some time before the owners decide to resume operations. However, your committee will do everything possible with a view to improving touring conditions for motorists whenever the various motor roads are again made available for general use.
(Up to the time that hostilities broke out in this area your committee had maintained the close touch which had been established from time to time with various authorities for the purpose of smoothing the way for motorists and of obtaining information as regards future plans. As you will realise with the departure of the various Government Departments from Nanking, such contact is not now possible, The Bureau of Roads of the National Economic Council and the authorities of the majority of the pro~ vinees continued to carry out important programmes of expansion and improvement of motor roads and there is reason to believe that whilst many, of the existing roads have suffered greatly during hostilities, a.considerable number of new' motor highways have been completed
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.