The United Press message from Tokyo concerning the alleged new Japanese military device for luring Chinese soldiers to their deaths is another indication of how very terrible Warfare is becoming nowadays. It is reported that the Japanee troops ply songs on gramophones ənd, when the Chinese soldiers hear of them, they abandon all caution, and, rushing towards the sources of the music, are mown down by Japanese machine-guns. It has long been urged on the side of music that it has qualities calculated to soothe the savage breast and, of course, it is quite likely that hearing the strains of the Peanut Vendor," and "Abdul Abul-Bul Amir," the Chinese soldiery forget their rancour against the Japanese invaders and seek to fraternize with them under the common inspiration of the musical art. On the other hand the sounds may be so outrageous that the Chinese may be inspired with a desire to inflict the most condign punishment on the torture: of St. Cecilia's sweet sounds. But whichey way it works, according to the Japanese reports, ñs devastating effects upon Chinese resistance seem to justify the suggestion that Hankow instead of spending vast sums or more deadly forms of armament, might save considerable expense and add effectively to the equipment of the Chinese forces if they also invested in a few batteries of gramophones. Fancy the effect upon Japanese morale of a continual barrage of "Won't you go home, Bill Bailey," or "My bonny lies over the Ocean," adequately done into appropriate Japanese! Think of the effect a continuous playing of the Austrian suicide song might have upon the Japanese, reducing them to gloom and eventual self-destruction! Imagine the saving in ammunition of such an offensive properly planned and carried out. On the face of the reports it seems that this is a matter in which the League of Nations could successfully intervene for the purpose of making warfare Jess dreadful, but if that cannot be done, then it is obviously the duty of the Chinese government, in the interests of the whole country to take such action as shall put an end once and for all to this novel form of destroying the enemy.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.