March 2.
In referring two days ago to the possibility of a contention that the complete assertion of Japanese itary dominance lover the Chinese forces round Shanghai was essential to the establishment of peaceful conditions in China, this journal expressly dissociated itself from that view on moral grounds, It went on to point out that on practical grounds such a theory was untenable, especially the light of events of the last} three weeks. It is surprising to find that, in cold print, the opinion has been expressed on behalf of the foreign community, that:
"any peace which could be ted Nothing could make the position lof foreigners here more intoler ble than to leave the world—land China—with the impression that any responsible section of foreign opinion could hold that view for an instant. The possibility of a Japanese military defeat can be ruled out; Chinese soldiers and their country men, even if still determined to continue the struggle, have no illusions on that score. The dictum. therefore may be said to be the. product of an attempt to set up skittles for the pleasure of wling them over. Taking las the expression of a point: of view it must be rejected with all the strength which this journal can command. It is a libel on the foreign community. Tt means, in effect, that the British and' other foreign nations represented in China are effete that they have to rely Jon outside championship of their rights. It implicitly means that a "tolerable position" is to be created for them at Japanese Jexpense in lives and money.
means that, in defiance Jof policies accepted and direct-led in their name, they are prepared to accept benefits accruing from an apparent assailment of those policies. The world is sadly sensible of the fact that moral codes, widely esteemed though they ' be, are but imperfectly followed in international actions. It does not Jaccept the view that those codes. re wantonly ignored or that the process of ignoring them is Japplauded and turned, cynically, to advantage.
'The Japanese Government have been made aware of the serious. Mess of the "third party risk which they have incurred and may, continue to incur by reason lof the operations so unthinkingly' and unwisely launched Shanghai. It is pleasant to note that, great though the obstacles fare, peace counsels are gaining Jground, It may indeed be held that the latest Japanese advance will" encourage the efforts of Tokyo to range itself on the side of peace. It is manifestly unfair to saddle the Japanese with "third party risks" of the kind to which the opinion quoted lahore so. blandly alludes. Japan has clearly stated that she. is in search of no. territory in Shanghai, that she is merely con-teemed with the safeguarding of. her nationals' lives and rights. Even if it be granted, as this Journal does not grant, that she has taken suitable action to enforce that policy, it is surely lasking too much' that others. should be allowed to reap where"
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.