To the Editor of the "Norm-Cunxa Dany News"
Sim—The withdrawal of Paoantul from' Shanghai area in' compliance with the Japanese demand would seem to be advisable as a measure of expediency. Such an action would no doubt meet with general approation of the foreign community whose prime interest is the avoidance of hostilities in the environs Shanghai. As far as the foreign population is concerned anything else but of little importance and as for the right or wrong of the issue volved, the foreigners are apt to consider it drawing too fine a line, Tk is but just to assume that a hostility in Shanghai at the present time is not included in the Japanese programme of nibbling. In the frst place, Japanese occupation of Ping-sin area has not been completed. Japan would prefer not to. start taking another bite of China until she has more or less digested what she has eaten. In the second place Japan must be a little wary of taxing the patience of the other foreign nations too far, the more so since Shanghai plays such an important part in the foreign commerce of China and is the concentration point of foreign population in this country, and foreigners are naturally more concerned with what occurrs here than in any other part of China, In. the third place, Shanghai has a siz~ able Japanese colony and considerable Japanese property and Japanese strategists are naturally not inclined to expose these to danger of hostillties which might cause destruction Japanese mercantile and industrial establishments not to say. even of Japanese lives here.
However, the unfortunate Hungjao affray precipitated matters and brought a formidable Japanese armada to these shores and the demand for the withdrawal of the Paoantui. None is wise enough to foretell of the things that are to) come, An Inferno is in the offtag, if the Chinese should choose to contest the issue, which they may take a notion to do, in which event large-sealed destruction of Chinese and foreign (including Japanese) property will be sure to be sustained. Chinese will be the principal sufferers but they may be comforted in that others will lose too. Misery loves company.
The Hungjao affray is but an isolated incident which is not likely: to recur in a hundred years and Ought not to be used as a wedge to pry off what little defence the Chiese have left. The Japanese version of the unfortunate affair is at best a mere conjecture in view of the fact that the victims did not live to tell just what occurred, and should not, bbe accepted as the truth and "nothing but the truth." It Is fair to assume that they were armed since they were reconnoitring so far from their base and, to be fair, T shall retrain from reconstructing the events leading to the fatal shooting which resulted in two deaths of each nation ality. Te is highly regrettable that the two Japanese should venture into the vulnerable point of the opposite camp during this time of high ten~ sion. They probably did not do it knowing for the service they were connected with would get very. touchy if such inappropriate visit were made on their own vital points, Tt is not so long ago that two foreign women were roughly handled for allegedly being nosy. near the gate of the Japanese Embassy in Peiping.
Now as to the legal aspect of the Issue, the demand of the Japanese has no legitimate basis whatsoever. Even the lop-sided truce agreement terminating the last Shanghai hostili-les and arrived at under duress, permitted their stationing. They have more right here, legally speaking, than the Japanese soldiers in the Shanghai area, or the Japanese soldiers overrunning Peiping, Tientsin and Northern Hopel. There has never' been a single instance where Chinese soldiers entered either the Settlement or the Concession within the Fecent years but there has been instances where Japanese soldiers ventured into Chinese-controlled areas for manoeuvres and/or other purposes. Whence the menace from Chinese soldiers? The present Japanese demands are therefore exorbitant. They are tantamount to going into another man's home and getting a "drop" on him and then insisting that he throw away everything that may possibly be used as a weapon, and keeping on Pointing a gun at the heart of the poor man all the time. T shall not be surprised if Japan' should next ask the demolition of the anti-aircraft guns which are said to be pro-teeting Nanking because these may constitute a menace to Japanese bombers "which may like to use the fine buildings in that city for target Tt is unfortunate that things in the world are not always run' strictly according to Hoyle or Queensberry, Rules, so T venture to suggest that the withdrawal of the Paoantui be
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.