Batavia, May 21.
Contributions to China's war-chest from Chinese living in the Nether-lends Eax Indies have reached the $10,000,000 mark. Batavia alone has contributed $4,500,000 since the outbreak of the present hostilities.
Other large cities in the Nether-lends East Indies are not far behind. Soerabaia has contributed about $2,- 000,000, and Bandoeng about $1,000,- 000. The remainder of the sum has come from smaller Chinese communities living in outlying districts.
The "Sin Pao," the largest Chinese-owned newspaper in Batavia, has succeeded in raising $1,000,000 from its subscribers. Because of a slight misunderstanding with the government, the "Sin Pao" was recently closed down for eight days, but members of the editorial staff took this as an opportunity to go out and raise more money by. making personal calls at the offices of prominent Chinese.
Overseas Chinese in Java have been particularly active in organizing ambulance units for the Chinese front and, it is stated, 13 of these are at present being maintained. Emphasis is laid on the despatch of equipment rather than volunteers, because many Chinese who have offered to work in the war areas have insufficient knowledge of the language.
In view of the importance of the Netherlands East Indies as a producing area for quinine and other medicines, Chinese here have been actively engaged in buying medical supplies. Reports of a severe malaria epidemic in the war areas have brought a contribution of ten tons of quinine from the Netherlands East Indies.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.