We do not imagine that many voices will be raised, outside Germany, in dissent from the action of the Grimsby trawler King Stephen in leaving the Zeppelin L 19 to her fate. Apart from the thought that men who go out to murder defenceless civilians are not entitled to much mercy, the fact that the Zeppelin crew outnumbered the trawler's crew by more than two to one amply justifies the latter in steaming away. There are too many proved instances of German prisoners attempting after surrender to murder their captors, of wounded Germans deliberately firing at men who had gone to their aid, as soon as the latter's backs were turned. Consistent German treachery by State and individuals, has taught the world that anything like chivalry towards a German, as chivalry was known in past wai simply to expose oneself and on fellow-countrymen to murder. Lord Rosebery's demand for rey will meet with widespread approval. For every fragment of by Zeppelin or subm piracy, let German property in Britain be sold for full compensation. That is the only practicable reprisal, the only argument likely to appeal to the German Government. maabowts 1 to the Yangtze, because China has already a considerable fleet of these vessels scattered all along the river. They may not be the most up-to-date of their kind, but they are probably adequate enough for their work. Yesterday the same correspondent showed convincingly, both by general observation and Customs returns how little is the disturbance caused by revolt, In this connexion it is worth mention, that, just before the New Year holidays, Szechuan dealers were buying in Shanghai. The fact is that there is always cause for pessimism in regard to China, and cause for optimism. But the foundations of the latter lie deeper than those of the former.
the past four and a half years we have lived through stormy times and have come out of them extraordinarily well, as China may usually be trusted to do. The ix sues of the present revolt in the southwest are the more serious because of the apparent deadlock they present. But China has known more complex problems, with less outside circumstance to favour her in finding a solution than she can count on at present. In any case there is no call whatever for foreign gunboats, which could do nothing but make matters worse than they need be.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.