To the Editor of the "Nowtu-Cuma Dany News"
Sim;~Most of the Chinese correspondents who have written to. the Shanghai papers on the subject of the postal ban on my Review, "Orien~ tal Affairs" start with the characteristic assumption that I have been gullly of the offences with which I have been charged by Mr. Tang' Leong-li and the Kuo Min News Agency, They. assume—without a tittle of real evidence, that I have sought to "foment disloyalty to the established Government" and that T have engaged in other "subversive activities, including the recognition of the puppet State of 'Manehoukuo'® Whether I have been' fomenting disloyalty or engaging in subversive activities is a matter opinion, and if Tam to be punished for it, a matter which ought to be the subject of a judicial' opinion, And it is up to my accusers to come out into the open and specify. the articles which have been subversive, ulated to foment disloyalty, Tang Leong-l who has constituted himself champion of the movement to suppress my journal is on record as having accused General Chiang Kai-shek of debauchery, treachery, of corruption, of being the "Judas of the Revolution" and of instigating the assassination. of two of the Left Leaders of the Kuomintang. The work in which he has made these allegations is even now fu sale at the Comercial Press*, and other Chinese bookstores, Yet itt may be recalled, the Commercial Pres not long ago, was forbidden to sell Morse and McNan's standard shis-tory of China's International. Relations, simply because it did not embody' Kuomintang. propa in its narrative of recent events in China, "Oriental Affairs" has not sought to secure the recognition of Manchoukuo, Only.one article on this subject from my pen has appeared in {ts pages—in the January" issue, stressed the difficulties attending iny departure from the League's policy of non-recognition, but ques tioned the efficacy of that policy, and pointed out, as most impartial ob-Servers recognize, that non-recogni-lon is more advantageous to Japan than to China. The final paragraph which T may perhaps be permitted to quote, sums up my views—which you will certainly agree, Sir, have hot gone any further than those expressed in your own editorial columns:
"It fs not intended, here, to minimize the obstacles to recognition. "To Accord it' would be to confess the complete failure of your issue of to-day, to find that instead of expressing regret for having inadvertently suggested that the editorial attitude of "The People's Tribune" had changed in regard to himself, he makes no attempt to correct the wrong impression created by his rst letter, but proceeds to launch another attack upon me.
1 do not propose to abuse your editorial hospitality by entering upon prolonged controversy with Mr. Woodhead. 'This can be "done, if necessary, in my own journal, and no doubt' Mr. Woodhead will' have more to say about me in the next issue of his periodical. I shall deal with that in my own Way and in my own time, but I do ask for an opportunity now to deal with Mr. Woodhead's latest letter to you, in. which another attempt is made to discredit me in the eyes of your readers, Mr. Woodhead describes me as having constituted myself champion of the movement to suppress Oriental Affairs," but submits no evidence in support of his assertion, and goes on-to recall the fact that in book written by me and published in 1929 I made certain uncompimentary references to General Caiang Kalshek, Let me say, at once, nat Mr. Woodhead need not have carried nis researches so far back to find equally strong comment by me on. more than one of the political leaders of this country and their methods, but may I point out that the conditions prevailing in this country since Japan's invasion of Manchuria im 1991 are vastly diferent. There are times in the history of eve: country when acute domestic political differences have to be set aside in fan effort to cope with difficulties threatening the nation from without. his happened in several european countries in 1914; it happened og: in Great Britain' ju 1931, when the first National (or Coalition) Government was formed; it happened in the United States when tne Aamunistration decided that desperate measures would nave to be taken" to deal with a desperate situation; it happened also in China when the very foundations of the Republic were shaken by the shock of Japan's invasion of Manchuria, If it pleases Mr. Woodhead to look Lup references to prominent figure in contemporary Chinese affairs which were written years ago in some of my books dealing with Chinese politics, ne is welcome to whatever Satisfaction he derives from such Fesearch. But if by digging up these comments Mr. Woodhead thinks <and hopes—to cause irritation and dissension among men who have courageously sunk their personal differences in order to. serve their country better, he will be dis appointed, at present con stituted, it"may he doubled whether prestige bbe' enhanced obstinate adherence to a" coercive policy" which has had exactly" the Opposite effects to those that were anticipated, 'The League's main con-fern, so. long' as" it continues. to function, in the Far East, must be to promote' peace in' this Fegion. Ts it Being promoted by adherence on the art of its members to. a. formula which Keeps China and Japan at arms" Tength, and serves" to." consol Sapanese interests in Manchuria?
The idea that such an argument: {is subversive, or is calculated to incite tumult or disorder is too grotesque to need refutation. Every. independent foreign newspaper in the Far East has recognized that no-re~ cognition is a negative policy which cannot be pursued indefinitely. Every Independent foreign newspaper recorded the enthronement of Mr. Pu Yi, and has published numerous ides. reporting conditions—tavourable and unfavourable—in Manchoukuo, The calm assumption that I am guilty of offences which have been specified only in the vaguest terms is not likely to lead impartial readers of "Oriental Affairs" to the view that that Journal has been notorious anti-Chinese, subversive, or a fomenter of disloyalty.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.