We alrendy have referred to the praise given inthe House ut Commons to the Rev. Forbes: Tocher of Ichang for the work that he did in securing the release of Captain Lalor, and it is satisfactory to sco that Reuter confirms the news, which already reached us in a pri vote telegram, that he has been made CHE. ' Three days ago we took the opportunity to express how much was gppreeinted the honours conferred upon three well-known men in Shanghai, and we are sure that all will agree that the work of Mr. Tocher has called for similar recognition. Mr, Tocher, who is 41 years of age, comes from Banffshire, and his experience of China dates from 1009. From his record it is obvious that he isa man with a high sense of public duty, for not only has he done admirable service in the mission field, but, he has a splendid war record. He served with the Artillery from 1916 to the close of the war in France and Belgium, and won the Military Cross. "Again when the call of duty is heard he distinguishes himself—this time at Shasl—and thera can be no doubt that the tine spent in the rescue of Captain Lalor was at least as hazardous as during those days when the enemy barra came down with its full force on plains of Flanders. Nor would there be the constant action, 5 definite to do, which would serve an antidote to all the other conditions, but a laborious and doubtless intricate course of negotiation, which from the numerous delays experienced must have madi almost hopeless at times through all that Mr. Tocher won, and everybody on the Yangtze will Join in congratulating hin, The Irene Piracy As a politician, Dr. ©, C. Wu has shown himself in his the British Minister regi action of the British submarine against the C. M.S. Irene in Bias Bay in the class' of those who are wise after the event, and any. statesmanship there isin it is of negligible quantity. In the Note signed by him and published yes terday he suggests a course which the commander of the British submarine might have taken, but ho enrively {ails to mention' that, at the time fire was opened, the chiot engineer was on the point of being murdered, and only a shell in the engine room prevented this tragedy, Yet he tells us that the action of the submarine would have been Just effective st it had waited until the boats manned by the pirates were leaving ed, but others besides, and, as in the case of other steamers taken to Bias Bay, there would have been threats that signals to the man-of-war calling for action would menu that all sorts of people might have met the fate which these pirates unhesitatingly mote out to their victims. With the legal spect of the ease we need not trou. ble ourselves, for on a previous occasion British action was taken against the pirate Mir, and at the time that a Norwegian ship was pirated in these waters, the Norwerian Government did not hesitate to suggest to ite representatives here that they should cooperate with the author of other foreign Powers in getting the evil removed, Dr, Wu is evidently more con cerned with hair-splitting definitions of piracy than with the outrages which the pirates shave committed, and with the very existence of Bi Bay. In this connection it may be pointed out also that while Dr. Wa was in office his government declar-strikes illegal, but so far know never raised a finger to stop the two most important strikes Which were proceeding in Shanghai in foreign firms, Tne Provisional Court has issued 8 proclamation stating that, in ace cordance with instructions from the Nationalist Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Spanish citizens will here-accordance with the regulations governing non-trouty foreigners, the Sino-Spanish Treaty having expired and having becut declared null and yoid by the Gow ernment,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.