FREE CHINA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 February 1943, Page 4

FREE CHINA

AID FROM OTHER COUNTRIES AND FROM NATIONALS ABROAD. IN GREAT COMMUNITY EFFORT. The practical way in which China has met the tremendous problems raised by Japanese invasion were outlined at a conference in London on the “United Aid to China Fund.” In order to preserve a free China, in the midst of Japanese occupation, the Chinese Government decided to withdraw as much as possible of the population, as well as their cultural and social institutions, far into the interior. For this purpose five major organisations, maintained mostly by voluntary contributions, were developed. These included: The National Relief ; Administration, the Medical Relief i Corps of the Chinese Red Cross, the 'National Health Administration,_ the Orphanage Movement, and the Chinese Industrial Co-operatives. These movements have all been enthusiastically supported by patriotic Chinese outside of China. It is estim-, ated that they have contributed the sum of £3,000,000 per annum in voluntary gifts. Now, of course, since the fall of Malaya, Borneo, Dutch East Indies and Burma, these generous Chinese who are living in more than seven countries, are no longer able to contribute. The “United Aid to China Fund,” of which Lady Cripps is president, has for its object the provision of a large money gift from the people of Britain to be placed at the disposal of Madame Chiang Kai-shek. It is felt that a money grant from the Government would not have the same spiritual significance as a gift from people to people. Many of China’s losses are irreplaceable. The wiping, out of large collections of books, antiques, materials, instruments, research records and records of years of study, costs a country heavily. Out of 108 of China’s universities and colleges in 21 provinces, 91 were affected, 25 suspending work, 14 razed completely to the ground, 37 compelled to move into Free China, 15 severely bombed from the air. It is now possible for 83 of these universities to carry on in spite of tremendous difficulties. The estimate of books destroyed reaches a total of 10,090,000 and the loss of libraries is placed at 2118: 835 people’s educational institutions have been affected, 42 educational museums and 54 museums of antique collections. China still goes on, however, caring for 60,000,000 refugees, wounded soldiers, war widows, and orphans. The monev from this fund will probably be used to bring emergency supplies from India and to maintain the relief organisations. One of these is the orphanage movement, which is under the direction of Madame Chiang Kai-shek. It is responsible for 30.000 children. Madame Chiang Kai-shek has helped to train the thousand and more workers who look after the welfare of these orphans.