July 9.
*WeE sympathize deeply with the unhappy Chinese who have been carried off by bandits on the Canton-Kowloon Railway, with the families of the two poor fellows who were shot, with those who have been robbed of their money and goods. But, if we can say so without appearing utterly heartless, we could almost: rejoice that yet another train has been wrecked by brigand: soon after the Lincheng affair. We trust sincerely that that remark will not be misunderstood. No reprobation can be too great for the ab-ommable state of aff that s possible such disgraceful acts, no pity too profound for the thousands of sufferers all through China to-day. But just as the prisoners of Paotzeku sincerely felt that their discomfort and danger would be a small price, mostly gladly paid on their part, if it might be the means of bringing back peace and order in China also it must unhappily be realized that Lincheng alone will not suffice to rouse the Powers to the necessary action and that only through a repetition of such deeds of lawlessness may the way of salvation for China at last be found.
The foreign community and the Chinese people have waited with what patience they could muster to know what penalties are to be inflicted for Lincheng and we are bound to say that the fact that they are still waiting fills them all with deep misgiving. It would be unfair to comment on the forecast of the sanctions published by the "Daily Telegraph'' and cabled out here last Tuesday, because the closest secrecy has been kept in the Legation Quarter on the proposed terms and we scarcely imagine that London's official circles will have been more communicative. All we would say is that if this forecast is realized—if Peking is -to given the option of controlling the railway gendarmerie itself, if the costs of it are only to be another charge on the Customs, if the method of impressing the Tuchuns is to be nothing but a naval demonstration off Chinese ports, "with a few fireworks' as Abdul the Unblessed would have said, then indeed a cry of dismay and indignation
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.