Te the Editor of the "Nort China Dany News'
Sm,—I have come to the end of a delightful holiday in Japan, and 1} feel compelled to depart from my usual practice of reticence and express through your columns a tribute where I feel it is highly merited.
When I was leaving Shanghai I was warned that I might find some feeling of antagonism against foreigners and against Britons in particular, From the time, however, that I set foot on the Shanghai-Nagasaki express to the end I have found courtesy friendliness, and efficiency surpassing any that I have ever experienced in the course of my annual visits extending over a large period of years, Everywhere in towns and in the country, in hotels, foreign and Japanese, in the trains and amongst officials everything is done unobtrusively but effectively to facilitate and to contribute to the pleasure of a vacation, In Tokyo, in answer to my questions as to this display of friendship, I was told by Japanese friends that I might find some resentment amongst the country people, who were beginning to feel the effect of the withdrawal of workers into the forces, and who were led to believe by rumours in the native press that Britain, their traditional ally, was helping China. If, however, they felt any such resentment, they not only successfully concealed it, but allowed their inherent courtesy to overcome their doubts, The English-language newspapers are reasonably fair considering the circumstances and what propaganda is found in them is hardly comparable with that of the European press during the World War, The Japanese press displays resentment towards the help which Britain has been giving China since the currency reform and emphasizes the necessity of cutting off China's hopes of reliance upon Britain or any other foreign support.
The surroundings in which I stayed on the Izu peninsula were delightful in their autumnal scenic beauty and in the idyllic peace of the countryside. A modern hotel with luxury; and comfort hardly surpassed in any country hotel in Europe or America betokens the quiet efficiency of the people and their will to adapt the modern world to its old background, It was difficult to conceive of the tragic war in which Japan is involved across the China sea, In spite of their growing-pains of expansion and development it is to be sincerely hoped that war may not be allowed to mar the prosperity achieved by years of effort and steadfastness of purpose by this democratic people, It is equally to be hoped that China will find it not inconsistent with her ancient pride to learn to combine the best in modern civilization without losing her hold upon the best in her old tradition and heritage.
Briton Izu. Nov. 15
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.