Meanwhile, time goes and only a few months remain before the house is vacated. Considering that the ho pital affords treatment to other ni tionals besides the Russians, as most of the hospitals in Shanghai are full, hope has been expressed by the committee that the French Muni pality will help either in allotting funds or land to have a house built.
Another misfortune confronting the hospital is the deficit of $10000 sustained during the first half year of 1940. This has been caused by the devaluation of the Chinese dollar and although the prices for medicine and medical apparatus have risen, the hospital finds it almost impossible to charge more since the majority of patients belong to the poor class and are unable to pay. Learning of the plight of the hospital, M. P. Auge, the French Consul-General in Shan hai, sent a cheque for $10,000, accompanied by a letter in which he says that this extraordinary subsidy is for the service rendered by the hospital to the Russian community here.
There are also rumours that the French Municipal authorities will allow the hospital to hold monthly lotteries, on the lines of the Refugee Lottery, and thus obtain necessary funds to build a house.
Mr. A. H. George in thanking Mr. Clarke mentioned that he was born in Ireland and had spent a portion of his life there. His subsequent remarks dealt with the empire spirit, loyalty to the Crown and the general eagerness to support the present war effort, The presidents of the various societies also made short speeches on the same theme, and Mr. Savul on behalf of the Indian community state ed that India had already made great contributions to the cause and would continue to give men, materials and money to support Great Britain in the great and splendid task she had The luncheon was brought to a close with the singing of "God Save the King."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.