The advent of winter directs attention to the question of the tens of thousands of Chinese refugees which remain, and will continue to constitute for some time to come, one of Shanghai's greatest civic problems. There has been a big improvement on the situation existing at the end of last year but this does not mean a complete solution of the problem. A good many of those receiving shelter and assistance are genuine refugees incapable of assimilation by expanding industry and labour-providing facilities, and therefore there should be no relaxation of humanitarian effort to ensure the help which this destitute population needs. Nevertheless, present conditions prompt one or two observations on aspects of the problem and the experiences of the past year. Hongkong is now in the midst of a refugee problem and organizations are working at full strength to provide for 100,000 Chinese in circumstances much more favourable than in Shanghai, but the comparison is interesting. The latest local refugee statistics show that when originally opened the Nantao Refugee Zone was housing about 250,000 persons but this figure has been reduced to about 40,000 existent on charity although there bre many more in the Zone living on other resources, In the organized refugee camps in the International Settlement, the peak figure was about 120,000 under Council supervision but in the 82 camps now maintained the total is 54,000. These details, of course, only touch the fringe of the situation and it is possible that when conditions were at their worst there were a million Chinese more or less destitute or living on meagre savings and even now, while camp figures are known, there is an unknown total roaming the streets which makes a comprehensive or detailed survey impossible. The fact, however, that there has been a great reduction is encouraging for it shows Shanghai's capacity of absorption given more normal conditions, and the ability and willingness of the Chinese labouring classes to sh for themselves once employment becomes avai able and independence possible. The latest report of the Industrial Section shows that 154.000 Chinese ore back at work in mills and factori and the extension of the silk spinning industry is actually resulting in the importation of the skilled labour necessary for this class of work. One Japanese cotton manufacturing concern reported in this journal yesterday that operations had returned to the pre-hostilities level and a full staff of 10000 is working night and day. The camp authorities are finding this state of affairs reflecting on the refugee population, not only in a healthy manner based on the provision of work but in helping to separate the genuine refugees from the drones, With the closing of camps and the redistribution of population, it has been found that a large number fail to attend the new camps but prefer to be located near to their places of employment. The time has arrived, it is believed, to make a strict survey of the camp populations to eliminate the undesirables and place relief on a genuine basis.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.