Sept. 29, Discouracine as is the Chinese Government's attitude towards the judicial inquiry into the events of May 30, it is less s0, than it might have been, The Waichiaopu, it is true, argu that an inquiry now is too lat it asserts that there has already been adequate investigation by the diplomatic and its own delegates; and it urges that negotiations for a settlement may fittingly proceed without further search for information. But it does not actually refuse to "point a Chinese judge on the Commission. And this, after all the confident predictions of the Chinese Press that China would have nothing whatever to do with the inquiry, is surely an important point. Our Peking correspondent tells us that some people would read into the Waichiaopu's allusion to the difficulty of obtaining evidence at this lapse of time, an intention to forbid Chinese witnesses to testify. But this appears to us. far-fetched, besides that the: Waichiaopu understands very well how bad an impression. such an order would give in all countries; and inasmuch as all the trend of Peking's recent behaviour has been to put down disorder and prevent student demonstrations, we are justified king that no such subtle nity is meant. But it. would not have been surprising' if the Note had said plainly that. no Chinese judge would sit; it has not said so; the way, therefore, is open for the appointment; and even at this late hour we would most earnestly! press that it may be made.
An important point in the: Note presented by Mr. Oudendijk informing the Chinese Government of the inquiry, which seems to have escaped the attention it deserves, was that it was signed by all the nine Powers represented at the Washington Conference. The significance of this fact, however, would not escape the Waichiaopu. It means, briefly, that all the Powers chiefly interested in China recognize the Shanghai affair of May 30 as a part of their interest and that, although the Commission of Inquiry will consist of only three foreign judges, they all admit their concern in it. That, as of course the Waichiaopu understands, is merely an official admission of the (rue position. Sedulous pro-Paganda, the origin of which is well known, has sought to! fasten the quarrel exclusively upon Great Britain. But the Waichiaopu is not ignorant that Shanghai is an international settlement and that the police, whatever their nationality, are controlled by an international Council. To the foreign community of Shanghai the forth-jooming inquiry and the endorsement of it by the nine Powers jate truly welcome, because] Shanghai has been grossly misrepresented to the world at] large. We have, for instance, the slander, caught up and broadcast by' Dr. Sherwood Eddy. and Mr. Russell, that May 80 led to the deaths of over seventy, Chinese and the wounding of more; and while it has never been possible to overtake these and other falsehoods, any coi tradiction must appear to people at a distance very much like one assertion against another. Nothing but a public inquiry, conducted by impartial men, the best that can be obtained, accustomed to sift evidence and to get at facts, can clear the air and provide firm ground for.the! renewal of peace and amity.
The reason for the mistrustful attitude of the Chinese towards the inquiry is well understood. The same propagandists who would make Britain the seapegoat have been alert to spread the insinuation that the inquiry. is designed to cover up something inconvenient and to whitewash people who should be punished. We have the best] possible authority for saying that these suspicions are wholly unfounded. Whatever there is to be found out about May 30) and however distasteful to foreigners it may be, it will be loyally accepted by them and the verdict of the Commission faithfully enforced, If that is the attitude of the foreign part, as assuredly it is, the Chinese Government and people need have no hesitation in laying aside their doubts and partaking in the inquiry in the same spirit, And we would urge that they have every interest in doing That a settlement of the a has been so long delayed is deeply to be regretted; but the responsibility for such delay is hardly so much to be put upon any one party as on the general fever of the times, the attempt} to tack on to the negotiations all sorts of questions which it was beyond the competence of anyone in China to decide, the intemperance and uproar self-seeking agitators. The fever: has now subsided. It is possible to consider matters with a calmness and precision which would have been impossible a few: weeks ago, And in this atmosphere the Commission of Inquiry will meet, with the eyes of the world upon it, with nothing to conceal and nobody to shield, with no other purpose but to ascertain facts and uphold justice. It do China no good to abstain from such an inquiry; it can hardly fail to prejudice her in the eyes of the world if she does not; it belongs to her dignity and interest to take part and the way is still open for her so to do.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.