Ang. 20.
Proof that the patience of Japanese merchants in China is wearing thin under the prolonged provocation of the Anti Japanese Boycott Committee was contained in the moderately worded appeal addressed by the Shanghai Japanese Chamber of Commerce to Baron Shidehara, the Foreign Minister. With a division the Chinese themselves—the mote reasonable section being opposed to this illegal and unwarranted interference with trade by 8 body which holds no official of authorised position whatever—it does not appear that Japanese merchants will suffer as severely as they might, were the boycott unanimous' manifestation of national indignation instead of a minority movement dubious parentage. Nevertheless the public appeal by local Japanese merchants is not ill timed. It calls attention to the anomalous state of affairs exist ing. If the boycott has tacit governmental support, the ap-Peal states in effect, it almost amounts to an act of war, since its declared purpose is to brig about a cessation of trading relations between the two cour-tries. If, on the other hand, it is the work of a self-constituted body, acting without official knowledge, then it is right that attention should be called to the inexplicable laxity in enforcing the most elementary principles of the law. Chinese, official and otherwise, who have at heart the true interests of their country, cannot but realise that apparent official reluctance to employ the forces of law and order against irresponsible pickets, may be construed uitflatteringly to China's aspirations towards complete sover-eighty. The Government Nanking must be fully aware of the uncomplimentary nature of the deductions which may drawn from such laxity, as the recent pronouncement of the President against illegal seizures of cargo proves. It is to hoped, therefore, that they will find time, arid their other worries, fo: see that the Pret
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.