No Fighting within 15 Miles of Shanghai: Merchants' Suggestion to Belligerents On Tuesday the following telegram was despatched by _the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce of Shanghai to the Cabinet, Peking, Ministry of War, Ministry of Finnee, Tuchun Chi Haleyuan, Yung-hsiang, and joner Ho Fong-have been taken in Kiangsu and Chekiang for the short period of 10 days, the exodus caused by war rumours has inflicted horrible sufferings on the people. Reports to hand indicate that the contending armies are drawing near to striking distance, and if unfortunately the conflict becomes unavoidable, it is most important that a war zone should be defined so that within an area of 15 miles outside the boundaries of the commercial centre of Shanghai, no fighting of any kind will take You are requested to issu: strict orders to the forces at the front to respect the limits of the war zone.
Attention is drawn to the fact! that in the year 1913 the view was expressed by the Consular Body that fighting should be for-hidden within 15 miles of Shanghai. The evident reason for this lies in the importance of Sung-Kiang and" Shanghai as th2 premier commercial centres of the country with assets of Chinese-and foreigners amounting to incalculable millions of dollars.
The existing population of several millions is increased by the influx of refugees, and should the wa clouds be allowed to gather her not only will the refugees have sought ju vain for refuge in our midst, but the losses caused by the war wil be formidable. Such an_ eventual I mean the ruthless jeopardizing of the best cultural clements of China, Moreover, the question of diplomatic complications will also arise. We mplore that the military movements be kept within bounds, for if our petition is deliberately ignored and our patience exhaust. ed, the authorities will be held strictly accountable for the in-damnification' of the ruinous Josses and unwarranted sacrifices, failing which the people will resort to special measures for means of the proceeds of the! Customs surplus.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.