FINANCE IN CHINA.

Waikato Times, Volume 105, Issue 17704, 7 May 1929, Page 11

FINANCE IN CHINA.

DESPERATE HUMAN NEED

APPEAL FOR ASSISTANCE. “In a stretch of country two and a half times the size of our own, inlo which a population of 46,000,000 is crowded, famine is raging to-day,” said the minister of St. John’s Presbyterian Church, Wellington (Rev. J. R. Blanchard), when making an appeal on behalf of the Chinese famine relief funds in the course of the sermon. "Successive failures of crops through drought, together with a plague of locusts and unprecedented ravages by bandits,” added Mr Blanchard, “have created a condition which means absolute starvation for many and pathetic under-nourishment for the rest. In these stricken fields millions are eating powdered grass mixed with water, chewing leaves, munching bark, and nibbling at scorched seeds scraped out of the earth. Already 16,000,000 have perished, while desperate measures, such as selling women, boys and girls into slavery and worse, are in some cases being resorted to. Those are the facts concerning a certain part of China to-day. They are facts. The Prime Minister (Right Hon. Sir Joseph Ward) and the Mayor (Mr G. A. Troup) have, independently of each other, tested these reports at sources which they know to be reliable. The result of their investigation confirms the facts which I have stated. In the Prime Minister’s own words, ‘the picture has not been over-painted. It is a picture of tragic and desperate human need, and stands before us todav with its mute but pityful appeal, What is the Christian response to it?

Victims of Circumstances.

“These starving millions of Chinese are suffering to-day through no fault of their own,” he said. “They are the victims of circumstances beyond their present power to control. Lven in more highly privileged civilisations, with machine power, superphosphate fertiliser, and droughb-rcsisting grain, famine cannot always be mastered. How then can it be by those who have not these things to their advantage. Throuch centuries of struggle and discipline" we have been enabled to bring our civilisation to a sufficient condition of economic stability to assure -the toiler on the land that if his harvests fail he will not face starvation. China recently awakening from a sound slumber and that by the invading touch of our civilisation upon her, is in the throes of that struggle to-day. Torn in the travail of a nation coming to birth she is in that condition of economic instability which makes it inevitable that such disasters as widespread failure of crops must issue in the tragedy of starvation for those whom failure, has overtaken. The Christian response to such a situation is that from the vantage ground of our higher privileges we should hold out the helping hand to those who are still struggling along the way to the securer issues to which we have been safely brought. “The Chinese are trying to meet their own need. Already they have raised £200,000 to meet immediate necessities. Some of this has come from overseas Chinese. Those resident in Wellington have given £6OO, and, I understand, are prepared to do more. But at least £1,000,000 is needed if the situation is to be met in a way anything like adequate to the requirements.

Shadow Lino of Death. “The Chinese people can be relied on to do what they can. But they cannot do it speedily enough. To meet liuman need struggling on the shadowline of death for Die barest necessities of existence is surely the King’s business. And the King’s business required haste. The Christian response to such a situation is obvious. Where there is a people who cannot act speedily enough to save their own from starvation the hand of the Christian will go forth to help. “The Chinese have helped us in the past, and are helping us to-day. During those awful years in which we fought for all we valued, many appeals were made to the people of the land to give and to give again. They gave, and gave liberally. The Chinese in our midst were no exception in that matter. Men and women who worked for patriotic purposes during those stricken vears have told me that the Chinese residents in this city took their share in the burden which rested upon all. I am also informed that they still give, and with no niggardly spirit, to help when the spirit of philanthropy in our midst rises up to deal with the necessities which exist about us. In the light of that the Christian response will surely be to make of this present appeal an opportunity for sowing in the 'Chinese heart seeds of goodwill, friendship and humanity. “I have been informed that the business men of Wellington are opposed to sending relief to China’s starving millions to-day on the ground that any money sent will be spent in making bullets for civil war. I sincerely hope that I have been misinformed, and that the business men of the city will hotly repudiate the charge. If that, however, be the feeling of any I would like to say that it is a serious reflection upon the integrity of the International Commission for Relief, to which any money subscribed in New Zealand will be sent by Die Government of the Dominion. That commission is the same as handled large sums of money sent from abroad to relieve Chinese famine distress in 1920.

Spent on Foodstuffs. “On that occasion no money was passed from the commission into Chinese hands. All moneys were spent Jjv the commission in purchasing foodstuffs and in despatching the same to definite cases of proven need. The supervision of this food distribution was carried out by missionaries of the Christian Church, Protestant and Roman Catholic co-operating; they supplied 85 per cent, of the foreign workers and gave 87 per cent, of the total time. The commission also had a common business audit of ail its funds, submitting its books to Thompson Bros. and Steadman, chartered accountants. As a public man who values the confidence of the community too highly to treat it lightly I would assure the business men of the city that the International Commission of Relief is worthy of their highest confidence. “Some of us know how pitiable, even in more highly privileged civilisations, may be the conditions which follow upon droughts in agricultural and pastoral areas. To see cattle and sheep dying of starvation, and to have to stand by helpless, is something which never fades from the memory. To-day it is not a matter of starving cattle and sheep', but of starving men, women and • children. To-day no one need stand by helpless, saying ‘I can do nothing.’ "Wo can all do something. The Christian will do it, for he it is who hears the words ringing in Ills soul, ’1 was hungry and ye gave me meat; I was thirsty and ye gave me drink . . . naked and ye clothed me,’