To the Baitor. of the "Nonri-Cinxa Dany News"
Sit,—Whon a man bites a dog that's news! So in these. war-scare days the head lines in the newspapers keep one on the QV, in daily or even hourly anticipation of something rastle or catastrophic, Last Sunday morning we read in the papers tha' a member of the Japanese Landing Parly had disappeared, and saw.the head lines "Hongkew turned into war camp as Japanese marine disappears." Again we read, "Hongkew was seething with military activities as Jopnese naval tanks went up and down North. Szechuen Road, Dixwell Road other streets." Well, these things happen so often in Hongkew and on North Szechuen Rond that they have almost ceased to be news! My Chinese friends now just smile and remark, "It must cost the farmers of Japan great dear of money to keep up this type of thing!" 7 However, at a suggestion over the telephone from a, friend 1 decided to fake a Sunday morning stroll through Hongkew, up North Szechuen Road and Into Scott Road to the home of friends to see what was left after the night's excitement, As I went along. the streets T had only one impres-slon, "Business as usual", Civilians of all nationalities in that cosmopolitan district were calmly going. about their ordinary affairs, I found my friends at home cheerful after a night of good sleep, They had slept for three nights in the International Settlement and, everything seeming to be easing off, had returned home again, Even this constant moving away from danger has become a mere routine in that section of Shanghal—it happens so often, Yet some who otherwise would stay and tale the risk remember the fateful lime when they assumed once too often that nothing would happen "tonight".and many citizens were never heard of again, "And yet I found my felends in a kindly mood, No breathing out of threatenings, no swearing. surprise that sch' unpleasant elements have to be Injected into an otherwise peaceful situation, The citizens of all nationalities seem to get on together wonderfully well—eave it to them and they would soon become yood neighbours, In fact, know that this Chinese friend took special pains to get acquainted with fame Japanese friends and to troduce them to her American and Chinese friends, Unfortunately this did not get in the head lines the next morning! Japane fon the other "hand, as individuals have Proved themselves most delightful. As we dine with them alone or alons with Chinese friends, we are strucls by their good will as well as by the gharm of their homes and persona I hear my Chinese friends ¢rofugees, by the way) praying dally for Sopan as well as China. They marvel at the height of folly of th whole business of militarism, feel forty for the poor Japanese farmers, the women and children who have 16 pay the price of empire and carty the most intolerable burden of mill= larlstie conquest, and they pray God {0 bless. them, One. of my 'Japanese friends, a business man' who always Jeads me at golf, remarks "We are very grieved and are praying every morning. 'Atter the return, {o Japan of' a prominent Japanese woman educator who recently visited Shanghai, we had a letter expressins liber arear delight and deep apprecia~ {ion of the opportunity which she had had of getting acquainted with such Aelightful and. warm-hearted Chinese felons. 'They' entertained her their: homes, prayed together with her 4nd made financial gifts to hor school, T heard a famous Japanese Christian reformer, with tears in his voice, ox-press his regret over what had happened in Chapel. Another highly Fespected Japanese "educator, -for many years an honoured citizen in our Shanghai community, algo. publicly expressed his rear sorrow over the tragedy" of "Chapel and Hongkew. Quiet, and a man of few words he was, yet uncontrollable tears were his eyes as he spoke. At Easter time we received a postal card from him expressing the Hope for international yood will and peace and urging to help make these possible, 'How can all these" prayers and Jongings for peace and ce-operation on the part of the best' citizens of these nations be fuldiled? "When will the time come ashen good will express sed in fellowship, a prayer or a tear, expressions of sorrow oF regret, wil hake better news than military pomp, a outburst of passion, or a misguided and {llsconsidered act?
'When will our imagination leap beyond patrol squads and machine guns, so much In display these, days, the millions of citizens. who' want "to live in peace with their neigh. ours? How can we get the love of peace, the desire for. ce-operation, the united "pursuit of all the One arfe—espectolly the fine art of har~ monious and noble living into, the Headlines, H.C. Wells, speaking not as a religionist but purely from the stand-point of human welfare, abi or men ete te was "seo fla Nemec tt ae a and the writer believes it is true in on sees deer Sets n't". Sel Son "Gat" Hie one MOS Te sao INoEag? Bs natty me ben tht on "guts in the ale Se wise Mant" Tau aduncs are tha Thy are' See hueaniy ie chat cine 'Sig Hegh Ra' has Svein sti Rata oat othe Sasa tt ce onto tendo raat lat ae i and RET Shy' fad ing Norn hin tangtl S57 Git i the dt ieee tnt fie tt pts trid uopnerrsed plete fo fiated i ut sere Hath bred i is are eis One theater RUDE lit evils INDI pelt ins wane ars salt oat tr Cannl possibly be a God of love in such a Bere te Tectia fle orth ae sto our eons tate ce rise attest Spe ere ese emaet yeas of cope Teneo Riand™ Shoal noble living. After all we sec enough Pant tua sine Ts Soe tomato moe eter for aac Gel tate salty atoning we Rat awe I suggest {nm conclusion that we veto Ee wal sgt the tings that are "not in the head-lines," until ibis ued etna them in the head-lines for the dally Sanson' "the "rest: of Tortoise ooking fr ahead wee tome ce Hel tng'wondor that ould Be "Saycthe heavens il with commerce, sies of magic. sale; ping down witn coy Bales fots of lo twilight, drop-feard" the" hea ie, nations," strappling In'the contract Bi efe'te Pasilament gf man, ie Fed longer, and the battieiags were furl "TIN the ware drum _throbb'd
ratton of the world."
Frank R. Mitttcax, Shanghai, July 20,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.