Next week's election of nine members to the Shanghai Mantclpal Council for. 1036-87 raises a special issue, he determination of which will engage lively attention from the ratepayers, The decision of the Japanese community to put three candidates has introduced a new factor into the contest, It definitely records the Japanese view that the status quo is unaccoptable. It constitutes a challenge which cannot be allowed to 0 by Idefailt; the British community, atoll events, are accepting it and taking steps to throw their full weight clusively behind their five candidates and, in logical support of the status quo, behind the two American Jeandidates, In the past, two Japanese candidates have stood and have re= ceived support from other foreign as well as from their own com= munity, The other seven seats lave been allocated, by tradition or con vention, usually to British and JAmericans, with occasional interven. tions from other European nationals, Now the Japanese desire that one of those seven seats shall be trans~ ferred from either British or Amorican to Japanese representation. There will be no quarrel with this decision on the principle that a community is fully entitled exercise its electoral influence to obtain the representation which the ballot box may give it, There can be equally no objection to efforts which the British or Amerfean candidates may put forth to ensure fulfilment of the desire expressed in their acceptance of nomination. Ty must be recognized, however, that this election is different from other elections, Tt ranges an issue which cannot be shirked. 'The Japanese voter" who desires' the status quo to be changed will concentrate on that point. Other voters who agree with him will have their course clearly defined. Other voters who attach importance to the retention of the hitherto accepted proper tion of national representation will take the opposite line of action, This means that the former in~ ter change of voting support cannot be adopted, Plainly the Japanese community and its supporters will
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.