Aug. 25.
'THE situation as between Chekiang and Kiangsu calls for sobriety and abstention from everything likely to create panic, The wildest rumours are in the air and find their way into print with scant regard for their accuracy or effect. For instance, one foreign paper a few days ago gave great prominence to a report that naval vessels were steaming from Foochow to attack Woosung. A Reuter telegram to-day shows that this story, which for many reasons sounded improbable, was utterly untrue. At the same time it would be idle to pretend that feeling between Hangchow and Nanking is not acute, more so indeed than it was a year ago. The gravity of the position is increased by the fact that Sun Chuan-fang in Fukien greatly desires the Tuchunship of Chi Kiang, The story of Wu P fu's being enraged because the Tupan of the latter province has given shelter to two antagonist of his from Fukien is a mere heard should do all in his power to prevent a breach. It is much to the good that, although rumours of war have been current for at least a fortnight, .de {there has been no war yet. The stage has been reached of representation, of reflexion, almost of negotiation; and every day that can now be gained is so much more for the chances of peace. Which surely is devoutly to be desired. After eleven years of tranquillity in east! China, the man who plunges the country into war will commit an unspeakable crime. Is it impossible for Marshal Chi and General Lu to adjust their differences as regards the Sungkiang and Shanghai district? The weak point of last September's peace treaty was that it left this question untouched.
Yet it appears to us that a compromise is not impossible, under which, let us say, the Woosung Constabulary and forts might go to Nanking and Hanchow retain Sungkiang and Kiangnan. If Marshal Chi and General Lu eduld fairly come together, not: only would their provincials pay: them the deepest gratitude, but they themselves would find their. own position greatly strengthened in dealing with internal forces that now give them no small trouble. pretext, The real bone of contention is, as always, that whereas Woosung, the Shanghai district, Kiangnan Arsenal and Sungkiang are geographic: ally Kiangsu's, they are controlled by Chekiang. And inasmuch as no Tuchun at Nanking can be expected to accept that anomaly quietly, there are those who think it would be better to settle the matter once for all by open fight, than to have a fresh scare every six months, Finally there appears no doubt that on both sides there is a good deal of moving of troops towards the likeliest strategic positions.
Against all this, it is a common place that what everybody expects very frequently fails to happen, and especially that the wars apparently most certain fizzle out in negotiation, In both Kiangsu and Chekiang peacemakers have been working strenuously for several days past and the result of their efforts is seey in the manifestoes by General Lu and Marshal Chi which we published last Friday and Saturday. The tone of both leaders is undoubtedly bitter. "But this stage at least has been reached, that each declares he will not attack anybody unless himself attacked. A. similar stage willie recalled a year ago; which, however, did not satisfy the peace party, who redoubled their efforts and ultimately succeeded in getting the Peace Treaty signed which readers will remember. It is true that Nanking now accuses Hangchow of violating that agreement, But the flight of the Fukien generals into Chekiang could not be called more than technical violation. It is those unlikely that General Lu, who with foes all-round him is isolate ed, would open hostilities. shal Chi is also well aware that he risks much in doing so, both materially and in prestige. There are also certain questions of internal jealousies, too complicated to"detail here, which -weigh against war. The greatest danger of an explosion is that rival troops at some out-~post-might'fire-on each other.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.