A? an expression of appreciation for their unwavering decision not to evacuate in this hour of need for service,'the Emergency Another bridge across Soochow Creek was blown up by Chinese soldiers at 530 p.m. This was a small bridge stretching from Chapei to an extra-Settlement Lane 74, running off Robison Road.
Committee of the Chinese Christian Federation played host to a group of foreign missionaries now in Shanghai on Friday night at the Chinese Y.M.C.A. in the French Concession.
Over 100 Chinese and foreign Christian leaders sat down to dinner to enjoy an occasion of Christian fellowship, during which questions of service to the community engaged their attention.
Presiding over the function, Mr. S. U. Zau delivered the speech of welcome, which was followed by several reports on first aid and other charitable work, and an address delivered by the Rev, Z. T. Kaung.
Mr. C. W. Gibb, representing the British missionary group, and Dr. C. C. MacDaniel, the American, responded on behalf of the guests, both reiterating the decision of foreign missionaries to stick to their posts and continue to carry on their service to the community.
Mr. Zau's speech follows:
"On behalf of the Emergency Committee of the Shanghai Christian Federation, I have much honour and pleasure to speak a few words of Welcome to all our guests who are present here to-night.
Hardships Appreciated "There is no need to emphasize ihe gravity of the present situation. The bombing and cannonading you hear, the hardships and inconveniences you are personally experiencing, and the misery and the suffering of the general populace in and around war zones you are seeing and perceiving, all speak for themselves.
"We are yet able to gather together here and enjoy an occasion of the great Christian fellowship, we cannot but thank God our Heavenly Father for granting us this opportunity, for thus far according us protection for our physical safety and for reassuring us through His Word ard our daily prayers and meditations that He will always be with us in whatever circumstances we are.
"AN of us appreciate deeply the sacrifice and love that our missionary friends have shown both in the past ud at present for the cause of Christianity. It was through many sacrifices and struggles that the Mission work has come to be a cess in China.
"I take this opportunity also to express the admiration of our fellow-men toward the gallant stand taken by our foreign Christian brothers and sisters in this land. They will I believe. with renewed. vigour and greater hope work for the peace and goodwill in the land where their pioneers laboured hard during this last century in spite of the pressure brought. upon them. There were always enough priests and Levites living among us and winning our respect. But China has been attacked. wounded, robbed, and placed in the least desirable position, the priests have gone, the Levites have gone. China needs friend: hours; friends who are need and neighbours of the good Samaritan's type. This is what China expects of our foreign brothers and sisters, Best Time For Service "You will-agree with me that there is no better time to serve than this present moment, Is this not the opfortune time for our followers of Christ to shoulder the Cross? There are thousands of our little brethren who are, in the true literal sense of the word, being hungry, thirsty, naked, sick and wandering without any shelter.
"Before I call upon our speakers to address you, may I put up a few questions which are now before us? Can we as Christians stand mute to see more bloodshed of our noncombatants in Chine? Shall we endure any longer, being followers of Prince of Peace, the Japanese violations of world peace? For the sake of His love and humanity, should we not be ready to devise ways and means of stopping the wholesale massacre of human lives as have been existing for the last ten weeks? Ab Christians, we cannot, of course, stand to resort to arms and armaments but we can spiritually pray the Almighty for His help and physically, at least, check the invasion by economic sanction or some other peaceful and effective means. May this war, though undeclared, horrible as it is, bring us some successful ends for the very cause which all of us aim for the spreading of Gospels and the Message of Peace throughout the world,"
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.