souma, Waine 18 To-ost. one Nien ly Thomas, Be sitar Now York! Marcourt, Brace Ca. ylesinie Cowper, Price the mind. So wrote Seneca more than nineteen hundred years ago; and now comes one more, to be added to the rapidly accumulating mass of literature on the, subject of this country. Well may Chinese readers exclaim "Heaven defend us from our friends!"
The author states, in his preface, that this work is journalese and is composed principally of his correspondence from China during the last three years. Some excuse may be found for a writer—whether a frve lance or a professed journalist—who, reacting to the influence of untoward find unforeseen events, records his impressions of those events _under the emotional impulse of the moment; but no excuse can be found for such a writer if he fails to take advantage of opportunities afforded him for reconsideration of conclusions and prognostientions based upon those impressions when he takes upon himself the serious responsibility of placing them on pexmanent record in the form of history. This book is full of inaccuracies and! fof those half-truths which are cousins-german to terminological inexactitudes.
'As to the author's own opinions, it is sume lent to quote his own words in connection with the views which are held by some with regard to. the influence of Christianity (p. 151): "If one believes that, why, one behoves it, and there is no' room for argument. On page 196 writes) "Nations which once reproached the Chinese for lack of Patriotism, and said: their language not contain that, word, are. une easy now it appears." It ly not the appearance of the cqneept of patriotism which is perturbing, but the form which that so-called patriotism takes: Tave of one's country doesn't necessarily connote hatred of all others, and' there is such a thing as) the Comity" of Nations.
With reference to the raid on the Soviet Embassy, the author states that the disclosures which resulted from that ction do not seem important to him, and adds (p. 196) think if the private papers of som other legations at Peking wer Published, the disclosures would be fur more' interesting and sensational" He entirely ignores the sequel of the raid, which has since brought about the expulsion of all Soviet agents and conspirators from China, On page 238 will be found a reference to what is called the "Nanking incidents (in which a few foreigners were killed and consular buildings were damaged)" and is further down Aoseribed as "a minor incident." Had! the publication of the official deposttions concerning this premeditated and carefully planned outrage not eon withheld, it is permissible to think that stronger epithets would be considered more appropriate. British troops were embarked for China in Janvary, 1927, and the Nanking "incidents" occurred three months Jater. The author seems to imply that it was @ case of cause are not admitted: which is "one" for and effect, and entirely ignores the universally accepted blick that. had the troops not arrived when they did, foreigners Shanghai would undoubtedly have fared as badly as, if not even worse than, they did at Nanking.
The letter to "The Times," quoted in the correspondence columns of this paper on the &th instant, goes!
far as to say that, but for the timely arrival of the troops, there would have been a general exodus cof every foreigner from China last! year. And this result would have been brought about by the so-called "patriotism" which the author belauds so highly!
His innuendos against the Consular Courts and members of the legal profession, as well-as insinuations against the policy and the composition of the "Municipal Council of the International Settlesment—which latter he designates a oligarchy"—are as mischievcons as they are unfair and unjastifia: ble; and he would have his readers believe that the resolution offered to, and accepted by, the ratepayers in 1026," to admit three Chinese memders' to seats at the Council table was prompted by pusillanimity and was not intended to be given effect to. The ratepayers of Shanghai will no doubt feel flattered to learn that they were simply made a cat's paw of, for political purposes. On 160 it is stated that a former ish Minister came to an understanding with the Chinese Government whereby the position of Inspector General should be '"given to aman of the nationality which has the largest imports to China." This statement is as inaccurate as it is loose, and seems to imply that the posting question could be periodically Up to the highest bidder in terms of imports. The actual understanding, which was arrived in 1898 at time when-the so-called "spheres of influence" were much to the fore-' front, was that, so long as British. trade should preponderate in China, the head of they Customs. Service should be of that nationality; and it is to be remarked that trade connotes n good deal more than imports: there is, for instance, such a thing as shipping: and national interests fre not necessarily measured in terms of cargo. It is difficult to understand what justification the author can have for the amazing mis-statement, on page 170, that a Japanese became acting I. G, on the dismissal of Sir Francis Aglen. The writer is reminded of an incident that occurred shortly after the relief of Peking in 1900, when an English. iMustrated newspaper published photograph of a crowd of Chinese Gazing at a placard on a wall, underneath which was the caption "Boxers reading the Empress Dowager's proclamation against foreigners; whereas the picture really depicted some ordinary pedestrians perusing an advertisement of Warren' Circus, which had been performing in Peking before the siege; the moral, of which is, when one ce statements which can proved, what credoness others which mia fallacious?
Por some inexplicable reason the author consistently und. per-runtly uses the word Yiangsi place of Yangtze, showing that, even after 30 years' residence in this country, he does not know the etymology of the latter word; Chefoo, he calls Chifu, which is neither flesh nor fowl nor good red herring; and the section which is locally known as Nantao, he calls Nantal. Gratitude, however, is due to him for the brief statement that it is mot true that there is n sign at entrances to the Public Gardens and other parks that Chinese -and dogs. are not admitted: which is "one" for Sena-for Bingham—L,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.