While there is mo doubt that! travel in Soviet Russia, so far non-Russians are concerned, has greatly been facilitated during the Fast two years, so much so that it now is possible to undertake the Journey to London by the trans Siberian route without excessive inconvenience, the Soviet authorities are by no means inclined to permit any foreigner to travel in Russia without his credentials being submitted to the closest scrutiny. We have every reason to believe that even now, five-and-a-half years after the armistice and four years after the overthrow of the last serious opposition to Soviet rule, it is impossible for any foreigner wishing to travel in Russia to do so, if at any time.sinee the Revolution he was concerned, directly or inc ly, in any operations or expedition Against Soviet Russia. For example; there are in China at the pro-sent time quite a few members to Siberia in 1919-20. Most, if not all of them are known to" Soviet agents in Shanghai, who have timated in terms not to be misunderstood that it were quite useless for any ex-member of the Missions we have named to apply for a visa for travel by. the frane-Siberian route, That is carrying matters much too far. Most of those who were engaged in the anti-Soviet forces were there without any option of staying away and it is dificult to understand why the Soviet authorities, even if imbued with their first quality hatred, should carry it to such unreasonable ends. if France and Britain tool: reeiproc: measures—though it is almost wit out the bounds. of possibility—the Russians would feel a much-aggrieved people, and would be quick to let the world know it. Their present attitude is more than a little obscure; niaybe they are afraid of forgetting.
Truth After Dinner Noboily, we feel sure, regrets more than Sir' James Jamieson himself any discourtesy which Mr. Chu Chao-hsin may have found in his plain speaking at the British and Chinese Corporation dinner London, ax reported by our corres pondent' ju another column. Bur the. same time we believe that there is a very general feeling in Shanghai, that, as one reader put it to us, "it was time somebody told the truth" and satisfaction that it was #0 distinguished a member of the Consular service as Sir James Jamieson who had the courage to tell The Chinese Charge d'Affaires in London is undoubtedly a very pleasant and popular gentleman. No one would willingly burt his feelings or be discourteous to the representative of a friendly Power. But the plain fact of the matter is that either ho is singularly mising formed from Poking as to the state of affairs in this country, or he has been £0 long out of it that he has entirely forgotten what it is like. Whatever the explanation, his public utterances invariably wear the appearance of unblushing propaganda and perhaps we may say without offence that no member of the Diplomatic Corps more fully realizes Sir Henry. Wootton's famous definition of an Ambassador as man sent abroad to. i country." At one time, ers may recollect, we tried to offer a corrective for some of the; fairy-tales which Mr. Chu was continually being put up in London to disseminate, but the task became! too great and inasmuch "as both London and provincial papers have latterly been. giving increasing attention to China and showing a wel-conic understanding of the fact there is the less to be done from this end. This new enlightenment wi we trust, enable Home readers who take any' interest in China to realize that though Sir James Jamieson's Language may have been strong, his! vision was as unclouded og ever.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.