Oct. 15.
More dramatic events eleewhere have hitherto prevented us from giving attention to the pamphlet recently published by the Rev. Arnold Foster of Wuchang, entitled ''Municipal Ethies: An Examination' of the Opium-licence policy of the Shanghai Municipality, in an Open letter to the Chairman of the Council." But the question is too important, und Mr. Foster's attack, intentionally or unintening this Antwerp incident, that of reprisal to which they have the Belgian King is commander-intionally, too mischievous to be exposed themselves, not only chief of his army, and therefore from their enemies but from the passed unnoticed. It is, og alliable to military attack, it would whole world. Whatever else the ways, with very great regret that not have been contrary to any rules we find ourselves in collision with of civilized warfare if the bombard-war has shown, this terrible Mr. Foster, but his enthusiasm ment had resulted in his death. lesson it has taught, that Ger-leads hin into many grave state-But further, authoritative sou-c: man engagements and German ments and graver omissions, The confirm the fact that stores of promises are not worth "'the and ammunition magazines exist scrap of paper' on which they charge that he brings may be im the centre of the Belgian city are written, or the breath with summed up in a very brief sen-below the houses, and therefore which they are spoken. Hencetence: that by the' resolution the guilt for the destruction of forward no treaty however bind-passed at the Ratepayers' Meet-private houses and for the killing' ing can be entered into with Gering in 1908° it was decided to of civilians must be charged to the Belgian military authorities, who many with any assurance that she keep pace with the anti-opium should have placed these stores of will abide by it, no pledge can campaign in China by closing food and ammunition, against she give that anyone will feel opium houses in the Settlement which the German attack was secure in accepting. That lesson that this resolution was carried probably directed, in military will infect all her dealings com-out in respect of opium dens, but strongholds outside the city itself. mercial and diplomatic, between that opium shops continued to The German rules of warfare pres-individuals as well as between be licensed, and in such increagcribo the placing of all military perquisites in the fortifications Ministries. No matter how ing numbers that whereas eighty-themselves, and the residential strong in armed men, the Power seven shops were licensed in 1907 rts of cities are thus not made which deliberately bronks its word and yielded a revenue of lo, ble to attack." and treats a lie as good policy 4,390, the number of licences in The satisfaction here expressed at cannot stand. History is strewn 1913 was 560 and the revenue the spreading of fear and terror with the wreckage of empires Tls. 86,3865. Here is the first recalls the German Emperor's raised for a brief period to in-omission and it is all-important, humane instructions to the Ger-glorious eminence by methods Neither here nor anywhere else man expeditionary force to China such as these. No worse disser-in the pamphlet docs Mr. Foster in 1900, to comport themselves vice has Prussianism ever done to mention that between the years so that every Chinese should the German people than when it quoted the price of a licence has thenceforward tremble the proclaimed the gospel of treachery. been virtually quadruple. At the old rate of Tls. 4 a month the name of Germany. This is, no' doubt, one of the permanent rules: revenue from 560 shops is not
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.