Listening to the hysterical shrieks of well: whipped schoolboys, thes! ever people wired their consular' representative here in Shanghai, who passed on their inquiry. And the Council, feeling, no doubt, that without the help of the Consular Body it could not hold an inquiry that would be satisfactory ta everybody, left it in the hands of these clever people.
In due course down from Peking came a number of budding diplomats to make inquiries. They put up at the Astor House. Their movements were most mysterious. Presumably they held solemn conclaves, but beyond a' talk with the Chief of Police, during which they asked a lot of trivial questions such as the distance from Louza Police @kiang Road, and how Gourse to the Settlement; another talk with Inspector Everson; and 4 casual inspection of the books at Louza Station, there is nothing to show that they learned anything that they could not have found out in Peking itself. There is no evidence that they prosecuted eny kind of a judicial inquiry, that they called up any witnesses,' that they! went into the matter with the Council, or that they did anything else of importance.
The Appalling Outcome In due course the Shanghai community, which had been patiently Waiting for the start of the inquiry, which should help to clear the way to an early settlement, learned. its surprise, not to say dismay, that ud Chinese delegates to Peking, and that the whole matter would be settled there in the atmosphere of into national mxaneuvring which is characteristic of that city. And what was the outcome of this precious delegation and its inquiries? This is what, according to information which has ever appearance of being credible, emanated from the Legations: Recommendat (2) That the Chairman of the Shang-hal Municipal Council should be Cersured for allowing Tor'net hating force hop the riot wi That Inspects Everson was not If these terms are not exact, we have reason to believe they are so near it as to mean no practical difference.
No attempt to ascertain the size or temper of the mob on Nanking Road that Saturday afternoon! No attempt to find out anything about the peculiar difficulties under which the Municipal police in Shanghai have to operate with Chapei (Chinese territory) on one side and the French Settlement and Native City on the other, in none of which places they have any jurisdiction! No attempt to ascertain the causes of the riots, or to censure the instigators!_ No attempt, ascertain the opinions of responsible citizens of Shanghai. And so away they go to settle the fate of natio fully alive to the sense of their own importance, but dead, apparently, to every other conside made full use of their time, and did not fail to get evidence from Chinese, properly sworn to, and so making' out a good ease for their side.
1s it to be wondered at that the Municipal Council refused to accept such findings from such a group of delegates, who prosecuted their whether the whole thing was not 1 deliberate attempt on the part of the diplomats to get rid of the Council and take over, under the state of emergency, the government of the Settlement.
This "finding" was quashed. 1: was too ridiculous to be allowed to. go to the home governments, but. very shortly there followed the withdrawal of the French Minister' fiom the negotiations. Why, one wonders?
Hed some deep' laid scheme been upset by the withdrawal of the British Charge @Affaires signature to the "find..
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.