April 15, Good wishes will be extended the newly-appointed Chairman lof the Shanghai Municipal Coun-feil and his colleagues on their assumption of their term of office. The congratulations will tempered with sympathy; yet ithe record of the members of the incoming Council is sufficient to jure for them confidence in ity to. face a year of importance and, possibly, great anxiety. General /Macnaghten's speech on Wednes~ Jday could have left no ore with ability to proceed in the direc-{tion of establishing an ordered Jadministration were vital. Whether that development is possible within what may be regarded a3} reasonable time, is a matter on! which doubts naturally express themselves. It can be asserted, however, that it must be imped-led by action of the kind to which. Shanghai has been exposed of jiate. Moreover the consequences lof that action have opened up possibilities in acute dislocation lof hitherto practical methods of approach to the solution of [Shanghai's special problem.
The new Council contains too strong an element of experience Jand commonsense to lack appreciation of this point. It may in-hent a sound policy, it may desire to strengthen or modify that policy but, generally, it will be forced, by the pressure of events, ito the task of reconstruction, It will naturally take the Feetham Report as its guide. It will just]
naturally realise that the guide will have to be reinforced by "new, considerations arising lout of developments for whic that report did not provide. This Jwill bring to the surface the conviction, already active in some quarters, that a radical re~ vision of outlook will have to be Nothing has more mugly marked Shanghi dividuality in the past than the: existence of the belief that new line can be poured into old of its alleged failure to deal properly with that: crisis, it, is unlikely that the judiciary ca2 preserve the alm detachment! demanded of it. So, however' glaring may have been the Courts delinquencies, endorsement of their condemnation Met be expected from Chines at this moment, when the trophic effects of Japanese action fare so fresh in the mind and Japparent to the eye. Yet General Macnaghten would have been failing in his duty if they had not expressed definite matter of such vital portance. This was the more necessary because of the approaching end of the term of three years for which the Court: Agreement stands.
Chinese criticism will be understood but it strays, sadly from the point when it notes the absence from the retiring Chairman's speech of any. specific reference to, Japanese action. With the negotiations for the cessation of hostilities still, in progress such reference might have been embarrassing and Table to. miscontruction. Nor would it have been fair to the incoming Council to have, attempted to sum up a case which will eventually have to handle in the light of discussions elsewhere. General Macnaghten's appreciative tribute to the success of the Japanese and It is a change sometimes to [get away from the very serious topics and to discuss one of the lighter subjects, even though should be in a serious vein. It was several years ago that one fof the leading men in Shanghai fras-sat in the old Town Hall during 'a boxing display by Shanghai schoolboys. His own son was getting a most terrific hiding and the piend father simply roared with Iaughter and merely said phatll do the kid good! Teach frum to look after himself! Do you know, that chap Tingle ig doing about the best work of anyone in Shanghai, for he is teaching our youngsters to be real men," Tt was somewhat remarkable that, after a similar display a few days ago, Colonel of the United States whose thoroughly manteristics require no made an almost pre-ights, and a multitude of s0- called' major subjects to debate, perhaps it may seem out of place to consider two healthy youngsters pummelling destruction out lof each other as a topic of the Yet why not? These schoolboy boxing exhibitions hitherto have not been tremen-dorisly supported as to number mainly responsible for the acute and. justified dissatisfaction Which "led directly to the Bituation of January last. The: mere fact that action then taken was ill-advised does not, in any way, remove the Tegitimate grievances to which the Japanese community and the authorities behind it were—subjected, In those grievances other 'Dationals shared in greater or less Wogree. 'This makes it all the more imperative that, the Diplomatic Body should revise, in some measure, its attitude towards the Council.' The Powers concerned should recognise that no small responsibility rests upon them for the tragically invidious posi-ion in which the Administration of a big world-city was placed by an arrangement made by them with but the most cavalier regard for the views of the "toad beneath the harrow." Fortunately they can gracefully perform this act of penance. The Feetham Report has been officially placed in their hands. Their consideration of it is germane, at least, to the negotiations which automatically, and apart altogether from. recent events, must be put in train dur~ ing the next few months. Here is no question of the determina tion of the future of Shanghai and, "therefore, an inquisition which, ut the present juncture, many quarters, regarded untimely. It is a question of taking up a file which comes to the top by the mere effluxion of time, "And, however limited the Council's legal right of partici pation in such discussions may be, it will be conceded that—especially in the light of events it" has a practical and moral €laim to most careful consideration' and consultation. "It has wisely brought the Feetham Ri port within the cognisance of the Governments concerned. It, will be supported with the Full force of public. opinion—not only in Shanghai—if it insists, as Ge oval Macnaghten insists, that i views be taken into account—not at the last moment but the ear-Tiest possible stage—when this vital problem of the Courts comes under diplomatic treatment. Tt may be asserted—with good reason—that the Powers have every desire and intention of avoiding, in this respect, their former Gallio-like indifference to which Mr. Justice Feetham so pungently referred. Shanghai, however, jnindfal of the not so distant past, cannot be blamed if it in-Sists on pressing this point strongly and steadily. Indeed the new Council, fortified by General... Macnaghten's unequivocal farewell message, and by the knowledge that it has behind unquestioned unanimity among its constituents, may be trusted to put this matter in the forefront of its programme, And the Powers would do well if, in response to the speech made the impression that a bed of bottles. Tt has been given con-Chinese members in preserving roses awaits Mr, Bell and his siderable prominence in various. their cooperative functions on but they have been as to expert team in Kiangsi Road. With one opinion, and there have not been assertions and, sometimes, angry ithe Council throughout " the aspect of the difficulties con-two mind: og to the quality of protests over recent events. It} crisis gained strength rom fronting the Council this journal them. Shanghai een prone were time that it received the reticence and wisely deferred dealt yesterday. It was admitted-boast of ing sin a benefit of superannuation. Much the delivers of any verilict on ly a limited though important ety of sports, but it seems to restraint has been shown in episodes in which the Council spect. It obviously "did not have been overlooked that a criticising that affection—loy: was only one of several pro-cover the whole of the vicissivery considerable percentage of ty perhaps—to outworn doc. agonists. Concerned as he was tudes to which Shanghai hat trines. It would have been hoped with the future of the Settle-first-class bool boxing cham-been exposed in the last six' that their survival of their: ment, his acquittal of a failure pionships at Home recent months. Strong factor though period of usefulness had been 80 to appreciate the Chinese point years have been won by Shang-the deficiencies of the Courts. patently exposed in the last few lof view rests firmly on that hai boys, all of them pupils of have been in enhancing the months, that other forms of ar-tribute and on his plain enunciathe waging: little personage [Council's problem of maintaining giment were unnecessary. The tion of the need for taking that Jdescribed only a for night ago Jaw and order, they were even-Council will probably find that} point of view into account when
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.