Prom Ovr Lanove Contesroxomnt Manchester, Aug. 28.
Of no event of international importance since the war has there been printed such conflicting acgaunts as those broadcast in the British press about the recent troubles in China. That there should be a difference in appraising the significance of certain events is views #0 divergent as, put it past them. How do you think Manchester United on ye That is a fair summary of the average man's view of the China problem if he has no pat interest in it. The most common ion in it is the knowledge that the trouble started in a Japanese mill and the expression of strong opinion to the effect of "What the those of the "Da and the "Daily Herald," but that these and other papers should Print such flatly contradictory accounts of the "facts" leads one more than ever to suppose that th ultimate function of the British press will not be the purveying of, news but opinions, for it" would seem that most of the once great British newspapers again are. war organs, industriously manufacturing, dope of the Red, Pink, or White shade favoured by their owners or controllers But if the dope is as pungent as ever, the people to be doped are little' more hardened to certain brands. It is a national misfortune that they are not immune to all brands, but it is generally accepted as true that the quarter of a million subscribers to the alternately Red and Pink "Herald" buy that pap because its pol tial prejudices Toughly approximate to their own. Of the more popular anti-Labour sheets, it is difficult to say as much. Conservative and Liberal party Jeuders have marked with chagrin that it is not for the political news: purveyed by their press that the muses buy it, Millions of working men skip happily through a daily column of solemn warning against the machinations of diabolical Reds for 364 days in the year and chee: fully cast a vote for one of the villains on the 365th. And. this: same certainty on the one hand and uncertainty on the others reflected in the results of our own inquiry into what people really bali about the troubles in China. For weeks we have been asking people of all kinds—artisans, labourers, clerks, small shop-keeper, cotton opera: tives, Inbour leaders, small manufacturers, clergymen and others—what they think about the strikes and riots in China. Here and there can be found an exceptional individual who has read well-informed articles of the kind the "Manchester, Guardian" published a little while: ago, and who therefore has some iy|"ell did we want to butt in for?
Asking for it, in my opinion.
There is no doubt something] blameworthy in this half-concealed indifference to the problems and safety of a small colony of fellow-countrymen in a far and half. hostile country, but in many it is less irritating than the dogma tic opinions of the rival schools of Red and White.
The few specimens lof the latter we have talked to Profess to believe that the most cordial of ententes existed in China between the British and the Chinese until a few years ago. The nati of SI igh blessed ing foreigner for is benighted land all the blessings! and profits of Western capitalism, The mill-owner was a father to his employees and a philanthropist to the country.
China was a Ar dia beginning to flow with milk and honey under un enlightened exp!
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.