AIR RAIDS IN CHINA

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 149, 20 March 1939, Page 11

AIR RAIDS IN CHINA

Caring For Civilian Victims Appeal For More P’unds "The problem of caring for civilian victims of air raids has become increasingly important and difficult during the last nine months,” says the International Red Cross Committee, Kweiyang, Kweichow, China, in a letter to tiie .Point Council of the Order of St. John and New Zealand Red Cross Society. "Two weeks ago this department of our work was reimpressed upon us in a shocking manner by a terrible air raid on this city, in which the main thoroughfare running through the centre of the town was completely demolished for a quarter of a mile. The devastation stretched to a depth of 220 yards on each . side of this arterial road, along the whole length of the destroyed section. Since the city is built mainly of wood, furious fires raged for more than 12 hours, and it was indeed two days before they were all finally extinguished. The known casualties totalled 550 killed and 800 wounded. “Kweiyang is fortunate in that it is now an important medical centre, but other cities not so well provided with hospitals are suffering in similar manner. While we have friends abroad to whom we feel that we can appeal for further funds, or till we have exhausted every possible source of income, we cannot, contemplate with equanimity writing to cities all over central China saying that we can no longer help them in their extremity. We hope, therefore, that the £lOOO under acknowledgment is but the forerunner of many similar sums remitted at regular intervals.”