To the Editor of the "Norts-Curna Dairy News."
Sin,—By the time this note reaches you, it is to be hoped the unfortunate captives will have been liberated from their durance vile; but the moral of the whole business is the same. Nobody seems to have grasped the great desideratum: unimaginative editors in their sanctums, harried legation ministers in their funkholes, sordid Chambers of Commerce in their conclaves, have all missed the mark. Why do none of them turn to the sure and satisfactory means available? Why not call in the League of Nations? One partial reason is that the U. S. A. is not a member thereof; but that is not a sufficient reason to block the whole business: besides, the U. A. will sooner or later enter the League: if these incidents were tackled properly, they would lead to this happy consummation being expedited.
Now what should have been done? Something: like this: At the expiration of not more than four days China should have been notified that, failing the release of the captives within seven days, the whole of China's anarchic conditions would be put before the League of Nations. A_ special emergency sitting would be held: possibly an international relief force to liberate the captives would be sanctioned: it might be decided that, as a first instalment of seriously tackling the problem of China's anarchy, the Shanghai-Nanking and Tientsin-Pukow Railways, with a strip of territory 10 miles. wide, would be taken over by the League of Nations, and mandated to various nations to control—not jointly, but definite lengths to definite nations. There would very soon be large surplus revenues, which would be retained by the League of Nations on China's behalf until conditions became settled.
The same policy should be followed in the case of Yangtze outrages. A recrudescence of firing on steamers or interference with foreigners following their lawful avocations, should lead to the Yangtze River, with a strip of territory 10 miles wide, being taken over by the League of Nations, and. divided into lengths, mandate ed to various nations to control. What reforms could be effected then! With a free hand to improve rapids and other © obstructions to navigation, the present extravagant type of upper river steamer would be unnecessary. The enormous revenues that would be obtained from the river traffic and the great industrial centres on the river, would leave large surpluses, which would be retain-. ed as suggested above.
The one great point to be emphasized is that this occupation of territory would be distinctly for the benefit of China:.none of the old "Tom Tiddler's xround'' idea, with exploiting companies. The occupation would be distinctly temporary: the mandates would be withdrawn, and full conizol returned to China, as soon as anarchic conditions ceased.
This splendid means of helping China is kept back through the U. S. A. not yet having joined the League of Nations. So wake up, Uncle Sam! We don't want your money, Uncle Sam, but-we do want your ce-operation! Look at this proposition in a reasonable way, Uncle Sam, and decide to join the League of Nations—the only way to get this wogbegone world into something like ship-shape order.
I am, etc., Leaaue Enruusiast.
Chungking, June 11, 1923, in a leading article dealing with the Changsha affair the Japanese newspaper "Vichi Nichi" comments on the weakness of Peking and says:—It is well-nigh impossible to expect such a weak Government ta exert pressure on Hunan province and control the anti-Japanese movement which is finding violent expression there. In such circumstances, there seems to be nu alternative for the Japanese Government but to take such measures as it thinks proper for the protec. tion of Japanese: legitimate rights in consonance with the suggestion made by the Japanese Chamber of Commerce at Tientsin. The British and American people have long been under a misconception regarding China, They simply knew China as represented to them" by Dr. Wellington Koo or Dr. Alfred Sze, but they are now beginning to know China as she actually is. At the Washington Conference the Powers conspired to elevate the position of China, but the course of events shows that all their good offices for China have brought no good results. The conviction has also gradually grown' upon them that their past policy of bringing pressure to bear upon Japan is by we means calculated to advance their interests in China.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.