'Commissioner of Police) then addressed the Conimission on behalf of his client. Before dealing with the facts, said counsel, there were one or' two general matters wished to touch upon, though he did not' claim any pariicvlar value for them. It seemed to him that the absence and non-participation in the investigation on the part of the Chinese had got to be considered to some extent. He thought! they were all agreed that it was: very regrettable, but it pointed to and emphasized @ matter of some importance, because of the insistence of the Treaty Powers and in rel cular" of the Governments the: Commissioners represented in holding the Inquiry indicated that it wan'not being held merely for the satisfaction of the Chinese but for the satisfaction of the Governments The Governments thought that should be a very full inquiry of what happened on May 30 last, and that if in Shanghai there was anything wrong, it should be put right.
If, continued Mr. Macleod, he wa right in his assumptions, it would be better that, all should regard themselves as defendants, although, in fact, no defendants had beet named," They should regard the Council, the Commissioner of Police, End every member of the force ai fon its or his trial. Actually, the uamstances of the ense required rather more than a defence, and it had become necessary for all portion that were before the Commission to attack themselves.
His instractions, added counsel, were not only to avoid ax far a possible the shifting of blame front the shoulders of his client onto those of any other person, but rather to ax: time and accept' responsibility for everything that happened artier that the cate might be put fully as possible. His client, marked Mr. Macleod, had no complaint-agallist the Council for anything dont.
After enlarging upon the responsibility' the Commissioner of Police was willing, to assume, Mf. Macleod explained that it was in no way a legal responsibility, but was. tone which was necessary' in order properly to develop the defence.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.