For some time recently, the tate of tension existing between the Provir iL Chiefs of Chekiang and Kiangsu has been a cause of concern to the Council, owing to the proximity to the Foreign Settlement of the armed forces of both Provinces, and, following upon the outbreak of war on September $8, pre~ parations were duly undertaken to place the Settlement in an adequate condition of defence, and to secure the assistance, case of need, of naval landing parties from the men-of-war in harbour.
In the meantime the forces of the belligerents became actively eng: en hostilities, and, as a result of information received late on Monday evening, September 8, a Proclamation 18 iegued carly Tuesday morning declaring a State of Emergency, and Mobilization was ordered of the Defence Forces of the Settlement. At the so of the Council, Naval Detackments were landed to the Defence Measures of the Settlement, and all troops immediately occupied the positions allotted to them.
That for a time the situation look-very ugly for Chekiang on Mon-night there is no question. A. Wage attack on Chikiang's left wing very nearly succeeded in breaking through, That this was largely due to Marshal Wu Pei-fu's 22nd Division of 8,000 men—their arrival at Nanking at the close of last week has been absolutely _established—and how the attack failed, is told elsewhere.
The Alarm in Shanghai, About midnight on Monday the authorities of Shanghai were suddenly confronted with the pos-for the next morning, of rush of defeated troops. Major~ Hilton Johnson at once turned out all available police to bar all entrances from Chinese territory on the north and northeastern side; Colonel Gordon, the Commandant, ordered u general mobilization of the S.V.C. for 6 a.m, yesterday; and. Rear-Admiral Murray Anderson, the senior naval officer in Shanghai, at the request of the Senior Consul, ordered the landing of some 1,100) British, American, Japanese and Italian' bluejackets, which was duly, effected at 4 a.
It is to be emphasized that the danger of the Settlement being. attacked ix simply non-existent, Shanghai is the prize for which Kiangsu and Chekiang are contend-and the leaders on both sides have given plentiful proof that they desire to study her interests and integrity. But if Chekiang were defeated there would very likely be a rush of some thousands of leaderless mon to refuge in the Settlement ind that ix what cannot be permitted.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.