22nd June.
THe time has certainly come for the Japanese t" con-idea the question of the crews of the Russian versely now interned in Shanghai, These men, particularly the crews of the transports that Admiral Rozhdiestvensky sent here when he went to his doom off Tsushima, are snpsed 10 be among the best sailors in the Russian navy, very much superior to. the men who formed the crews of the annihilated Baltic fleet und the Japanese, knowing the peculiar views ent-rtaincd on. the subject of parole by the Russians, were properly determined that those men should not get back to the Neva as long as the war lasts, Their presence here cannot be called a danger to Shanghai, for on the whole they have been very well-behaved, and have given very. little trouble to the public or the police but their presence isa serious embarrassm ut for the Chinese Government. That Gdvernment is especially anxious to maintain strictly the neutrality of China; but it is hampered very much in its efforts by the existence of ex'raterntorialit At Gongkonz, the Brit'sh Govers ment cin take the curse that seems to it good without any inter fence from any other Puwer; and Germany is equally froe at Tsing'ao, though the territory there is only leased from China, and is not the property of Germany as Hongkong is of Groat Brita'n, while Weihaiwei is in the same position as 'I'singtao, as far as the freedom of ncrion of the British authorities there is concerned. But the Ch'nes" at Shanghai are in a very different case. They are most. anxious to do everything that it is their duty to asa Power really anxious to prac-rise the strictest rentral.ty; but the inevitable existence of that restraining force, extrat rritoria'ity, prevents their doing as they would like to do and are advised to do.
Since the ontbiexk of the war China has bad to take charge of a large number of Ru: sian sailors, to whose return to Russia, under parole or otherwise, Japan objected very str ugly and with reason, But surely the t: me has come when Japan should withdraw that objection and allow these men, who are a constant embarrassment to ina, and a constant cause of waxiety to the Jupanese officials here, to be s-ut home. They might be put on their parole, if that were thought to te heees ary any longer; but as there is n" more R'ssian feet in existence, and no likelihood of any more Russian warships coming out to the Pacific until the war is over, it seems quite unnce.+s: ry to keep all these men in Sh nghai." If the story is well founded, which ig doubtful, that the interned ships wil ave to be handed over to Jap n as one of the terms of peace, there is no bum in their remaining here; but the crew= will have to be sent home so.n r or later, and it had better be sorer. This will bring a totable reli-f to the Chinese, the Japanese, and the Russian authorities in Shanghai, as well as to the Municipal police, and we cannot, even if we look at it from the Japanese point of view, sce any reason why the Japanese should not accept this suggestion. It would be graceful concession by which Japan would vot suffer, and which could not but be appreciated by Russia, and which is quite in consonance with Japan's unfailing chivalry.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.