has not been possible for Minister Leto meet you here. If some of you find time to proceed to Nan-King, Tam sure a warm welcome will meet you, Probably this is one of the largest gatherings of journalists that Shanghai has seen in years, Not fa few of you have: I believe, defied times and space and literally flown from far lands to get to Shanghai in order to see with your own eyes what has been occurring here in recent weeks.
And what you have seen you have no doubt, told the world. Unhampered by the decorum and restraints that surround diplo-
and your duty to tell the _vinvarnmate, it has been your "pyvilere ished truth you have striven earn-astly to secure truth—even if it hurt, Truth—even if it shame the devil, whatever his colour or his banner. is a fortunate circumstance that modern science and invention have made promptly available to the four corners of the world the facts you have gathered from day ip. tes ton. oh 9 Sie ok and longer. But it is only through your collective efforts that an informed public opinion could have created on vital issues that thre ten to destroy the pence of nations.
Ruins of Chay you have been bearing witness in the past thirty or forty days to the superhuman efforts of a powerful country equipped with the deadliest weapons to impose its will on this neighbourhood. With what results T need not, dwell upon.
When Macaulay's famed New Zealander pauses on his way to St. Paul's Cathedral to visit the ruins of Chapel, perchance he may discover in some corner of one of our trenches or dugouts the Chinese equivalent of some oft-quoted lines from Macaulay. At any rate, it is four belief that the men of our defence forces went, cheerfully to their death in the spirit, if not the actual words of this apt retral And how can man die better, Than by facing fearful odds For the aches of hig fathers And, the temples of his gods.
Due to the exigencies of the military situation, our men have with drawn their lines to a distance in some parts even beyond the 20 kilometre zone demanded by. the self-appointed champion of the peace and safety of the Inter-ational Settlement. But what is the situation to-day, gentlemen? Does a clear distance of 20 kilometres separate the Chinese defence forces from the Japanese invading forces?
Is it not evident to every judicial mind that if there were such a clear distance of 20 kilometres—the cessation of hostilities, to-day and since the withdrawal of our troops, would have been automatic and Beyond the wiles of sophistry deny?
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.