ie ney of the departmental ad-able material for judging the ministrations of the International Settlement in preserving the defences of Shanghai against external aggression, internal disorder and
Reports summaries of which appear will be found ju the "annual elsewhere. The chiefs of the departments are commendably brief, concise and modest. They have to tell no new tale. The day-to-day history of last year is epitomized in their bald recitals. "Yet their reports ars well worth study. They show that this Settlement is admire ably served by all three preventive forces—Police, Fire Brigade and Volunteer Corps. All had excep-the full ofielat reports are to hand tionally heavy tasks in 1992. When the exact nature of that burden will de more fittingly discussed. In the meantime it is sufficient to note that the Volunteers are understaffed and short of the numbers considered by their keen Commandant. to be. requisite for their important role, The! Police are still wrestling with trastie ldificulties and yet have managed to keep serious crime well under control, besides handling unruly Political contumacy. and reducing the serious communist campaign to confusion. Incidentally the Com missioner refers to the appointment of a Cinema Commission but not to {SEDs this etleenes wil be remedied by another department," The Fire Brigade had the heaviest year on record. It hed no call on 43 days but on each of three days it received no less than 11 calls. The total number of calls was 900 of, which 12" were maliciously and 102 well-meaningly false, It spent 1,391 hours more in attendance at fies than in 10, A hot of regret must be recorded at the necessity for the Chief Officer to refer to pub-ie cooperation with a reservation, He says that "generally speaking, consideration and. courtesy are shown by. the drivers of other Vehicles" to the Fire Brigade when jon its mission of mercy." It is up to Shanghai, possessed of so fine fire-fighting service to eliminate this qualification. The Londoner would be horrified to thine that his own splendid fire engines were ever confronted with even the suspicion of obstruction. Shanghai can surely do as well as London,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.