Sepl. 6.
Ir becomes necessary again to call attention to the question of the Ma Lu Chiao dynamite magazines. So far as we can ascertain nothing whatever has been done either by the Customs officials or the authorities of the Settlement to give proper protection to the magazines. The silence of officials on this subject is significant. They will, no doubt, tell us that it is not their business and that they have not the time to contradict every-
THE WATCHDOGS: A STUDY OF THE HUANGPU thing that appears in new: papers. This excuse would carry more weight, if permanent departments never did issue contradictions of journalistic statements, and if the question were less grave than it actually nationals.
There would be no harm done if this were started at an early date and the initial stages of training, musketry, taught the men before they were transformed into a field battery.
The nomenclature could easily be settled by giving the unit a letter, such as Company, until it armed with roped together, to the military lines, has been fully described in our columns. But in reality it is quite beyond power of description. At one time on Thursday afternoon North Thibet Road was so full of fugitives from the Press gangs in Chapei that it was almost impossible to get along the road. What has guns. The advantage of having|been done around Shanghai by the men trained and disciplined] the one side has been fully: before the actual transformation would be well worth the trial. sound argument, however, has been brought forward against the existence of national unit and it must be remembered that equalled in Nanking, Wusih and elsewhere by the other. Furthermore, it is to be feared that soldiers do not stop short at kidnapping men for transport and manual work, but also help is in respect of the dynamite magazines, Let us, for the sake of argue ment, admit that the position of the magazines so near to Shanghai is mo danger in normal times. (We do not, in point of fact, admit it: because there never has been an accident there, certainly no guarantee that there never will be, as the terrible explosion at Plumstead, about twenty years ayo, and others like it, sufficiently prove).
The point is' that these are not normal times, and that if the magazine gets into the untender and inexpert hands of Chinese soldiers, disaster ix bound to many of the units of the Corps themselves freely to their pro- ensue, During the present. week were originally formed by ai perty.
Every report we have!" party of soldiers has been number of nationals getting] received from the interior in seen in the neighbourhood of together and offering their ser- China of every war that has Ma Lu Chiao and it is known vices to the Council as a unit.|taken place for the last ten|¢hat they have. been making There, therefore, appears to be years, has been disfigured by' inquiries about the magazine in no more reason why the Scottish] the same sort of disgraceful ay stated last Tuesday, Ca., say, should admit candidates tyranny startling, to! there ix a large quantity who are not Scottish than the find that the very some conduct dynamite. Now if the military ican, Chinese or Portuguese can occur in the two best-known decide to lay hands on the stut, Cart in units, viz., the Light provinces of China, in regions of what earthly use are a Horse, Maritime Ca., and most susceptible to human couple of foreigners and two or Engineers, accept, we believe, all influences, must open to the Sikh watchmen? To protest. Eyden* hax an opportunity "20 thai Me. Van "der, shafts of western criticism, inst interference is, at best. rubbing shoulders with quite!
We are quite sure that such to be disregarded, not improbably a rao vari ection of voluntary 15 edo "aaraatchy im the slonach or" tobe acts have only to be brought to to get a blow from a rifle-stock however, does, not exist og. Hsieh-yuan and) Marshal Lu bayonetted: and if, then, Chinese present, but would. we feel sure, YWNE-hsiang to incur their soldiers bevin removing the be welcomed by the Council if, Severe displeasure.
They are explosives, there is no practic sufficient candidates offered their 2th humane men and it cannot|doubt of what would happen. services to it in a body.
May e to their liking that the We suggest, especially at the! #ePutation of themselves and. present juncture, when several) their armies should thus be able-bodied men desire to bear besmirched. Yesterday, accord-arms should necessity arise, that ing to the Chinese press, General European, American and Aus-Ho Feng-lin issued an order that tralian Volunteers. who i feel soldiers committing robbery shall that they would like to belong be shot. This is an excellent to such a unit should send in thei move, but it does not cover the names, addresses, whole ground.
Commandant. ete to the sure of the attitude of the men} We can be quite
at the top; it is about their subordinates, acting in little isolated parties, that one cannot
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.