To the Editor of the "Nowrn-Cuixa DarLy News.'
Siz,—Your editorial this morning on the opium situation in China has very interesting bearing on the complaints made by two of your correspondents against an unnamed taipan discouraging his staff from joining the S.V.C.
thout knowing who the taipan particularly referred to is (I dare say he has many confederates i this crime) he has my sympathy, protest has been made in the proper quarter I should add, wholeheartedly.
During the Great War, at least one large firm circularized throughout their staff a statement signed by a high government official to the effect that these men could best serve the interest of their country' by sticking to their various posts. and maintaining the standing of their firm. If in such a war such a statement could pass unchallenged, why all this resentment against a man who has the moral courage t2 make a common sence protest against the disruption, or even inconvenience, of his business by the squabbles of two organized bandit hordes, which differs in no whit from the thousand other squabbles in the various, provinces during the past 10 years except in its proximity to this Settlement.
Ten years ago opium was grown in China only in isolated places far from the highways need by the foreigner anda certain amount of secrecy was employed in its production and use; to-day, in the interior it is grown wherever there is suilfable soil. Ten years from now we may see it flourishing on the bordfers of the Settlement. Ten years ago bandit outrages were restrjeted to small villages and even the isolated foreigner was not interfered with, to-day we find two organized bands of brigands fighting. for the privilege of imposing military taxation on the Chinese merchants on the borders of Shanghai. Ten years from now the looting of Chapei will be as common as the looting of chang.
the early days of the foreign invasion of China a few men of exceptional intelligence equipped with a few gunboats and a remarkable foresight succeeded in foreing upon this country treaties which made it possible for foreigners to reside here and do business with a spite of being urgently needed in hhis office, and he would not be the man he is in my eyes if he was not eager to do. his share, but it makes my blood boil to see all these young men about the place doing nothing at such a time as. this They -cannot in their wildest moments imagine they are indispens-fable in their offices, so why do they not join up? Is it, "cold feet" or do they think their firms would have to close down without their valuable assistance?
If the worst-happened and a defeated Chinese army broke through the defence round the Settlement, would these young men hide their precious skins under their beds? Tt would be interesting to know.
Tam, ete, 'A Vonunreer's Wire, Shanghai
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.