Dismayed at the evidence that the world outside definitely regards Japan as the aggressor in the present assault on China's integrity, Japanese apologists have pretended that the world has not had the opportunity of receiving a "ce-ordinated reasoned account of their case in Shanghai." Such fustian does not deceive anyone who does not want to be deceived, Mr. Koki Hirota's latest attempt to convict China of provoking Japanese aggression is no more impressive than previous efforts to expound a case which is inherently bad. His allegation that China precipitated the struggle here has already been dealt with at length in these columns. The suggestion that the reinforcements rushed here when the signs of Japanese naval and military activity were all too plain for any but the wilfully blind to misunderstand, constituted a breach of the 1932 truce may or may not be accurate, but in essence it gives an unreal reading of the situation, Supporters of that theory are now heard asserting that Shanghai was surrounded by Chinese troops well' before the arrival of the Japanese fleet. Once again the ex post facto fabrication which discovered the 19th Route Army's intention to attack the: Settlement in 1932, despite the most authoritative foreign official statements, is being refurbished to adorn the tale of a downtrodden Japan. Actually foreigners who prefer to believe what they see and who are accustomed to travel in the outskirts of Shanghai know perfectly well that the situation was far otherwise. Moreover unassailable reports reveal that on the night of the murder of the Japanese officers in Monument Rd. the Peace Preservation Corps was alone responsible for the garrisoning of Shanghai and its strength was between 2,000 and 3,000 effectives. After that affair prompt reinforcements were sent and they have now developed into the formidable force with which the Japanese are contending. Mr. Hirota has unkindly smashed some of his supporters' arguments by agreeing with this journal that* the strong naval reinforcements were not sent because of the Monument Rd. affair but were on their way before, that happened. Chinese are disposed to care/ little for this academic examination of recent facts for they not unnaturally consider that the broad question of the aggression to which their country has been exposed has been determined a long while ago in their favour, They have no time to waste to convince those who do not want to be convinced, However that may be, this journal, in the desire to preserve the foreign community's reputation for fairplay and reliance on facts rather than fancy, considers it important to make this passing record, since Mr. Hirota specifically raises the issue. If still there are some who desire to hug to their bosoms the delusions of a lifetime they must be left in that comfortable if ignominious position. It may be permissible however to point out once more that when the mighty man overwhelmingly flaunts his strength in the face of the weaker, the mere fact that the latter, in a spontaneous or involuntary effort to stave off the inevitable blow, actually strikes first does not alter the identity' of the aggressor. That fundamental fact cannot be ignored.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.