To the Editor of the "NontH-CHINA DAILY News'
Sit,—Reading the finding of the Sudical Inquiry of the "incident of May 30, together with the general patting' on the backs by various parties concerned one is struck with "the, at Toast, apparent deterioration of the present day foreigner in China in comparison ies. cay those of the eighties and nine-
One calls to mind the turning out of the "Council" "lock stock and barrel" for the loss of prestige the foreigners lost when the Coun: gave way to the Wheelbarrow Rioters and the stirring words of the late Mr. Roderick Campbell and others when they spoke at the special meeting of ratepayers held for this purpose in the Theatre Hall of the Old Astor House. This action had the approval of the foreign community in China, In the present case we are asked to approve of the Council giving Tis, 75,000 us a salve—for what? "An expression of regret at the Joss of life which occurred on May 80 and as a mark of sympathy with the wounded and with the relatives of these "killed" (The Chinese press are already commenting on the CASH value), In other words, establish a precedent that all or any hot-headed, half-baked students or other misguided bodies can enter the settlement and rouse the native population to frenzy on any imagined grievance, to the peril of the residents of the settlement, with the assurance that should any injury be incurred by these uninvited guests, they will be sympathised with and compensated.
Our defenders, the Police, what of them, turned out to appease th uninvited guest? Can anything be worse than the acceptance of Inspector Everson's resignation? At worst a victim of his superior officer's negligence, which officer has been exonerated by two of the special Commissioners, whilst the other, who prejudged the case, a: is apparent. when comparing his finding with his speech to the returned students at the Columbia Club, made in between the sessions of the investigation and his letter of October 11 to the "Peking Leader" only suggests. more precautions" on the possibility of saving life, And our other victims? What of them? Have they been compensated? Are we falling into the error, so vividly depicted by that eminent ox-Ambassador Mr. Ric~ hard Washburn Child in his recent article on the "Crime Wave in America"of pitying the prisoner at the bar and forgetting the victim?
'A weak backbone has never been successful in China and has always been taken advantage of by them. Tam, etc, 'AN O1p Resivent.
Hankow, Dec. 28, 1925.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.