To the Editon of the "NoaTH-Cuina Dany NEWS"
Sm,—With due respect to your able leader in defence of the Council, there is one important omission which, in my opinion, destroys the value of your contentions.
You have overlooked the fact that the Council had before it the lessons and experience of 1927 -and 1932. Also, for some considerable time prior to August 13 it was patently obvious that serious trouble was threatening. The Council had ample opportunity to adopt the fullest measures for the protection of every section of the Settlement, as wel as to imprest "upon the belligerent parties the necessity for respecting the Settlement's boundaries.
Failure to take such action showed lack of foresight, decision and courage on the part of the Council, resulting in the abnegation of its authority in the Northern areas at an early stage of the hostilities.
If the Council is to escape the charge of culpability, then it must accept the implication that in certain given circumstances its "authority Aapses into an interregnum, and it is impotent to render protection to the citizens under its jurisdiction. If this be the case, it demands a drastic revision in future Settlement control ana administration, if the integrity of Shanghai is to be ensure In closing, I sincerely trust that no one has read in my quoting the Japanese spokesman any intention to reflect on the Shanghai Municipal Police, I yield to none in my admiration of the splendid body of men Who make up the Settlement's police force. We know they work under ardous and often-times dangerous conditions, and their readiness to risk their lives in the performance of their duty is unquestioned. loóked upon as unpalatable from very selfish and narrow viewpoint As regards the present Sino-Japanese hostilities I wish to say that what a sensible reader wants of Shanghai newspapers is neither pro Japanese nor anti-Japanese propaganda, nor does he want "jazzed up" stories; he simply wants to keep himself abreast of the truth of the conflict and enlightened on the issues On account of the dominance of my-country-right-or-wrong sentiment at the present juncture, the Japanese press probably would not restrain a little its wild tone in regard to the conflict; and it is largely up to the foreign press in Shanghai to satisfy the demand of accurate news and pertinent comments, as most Chinese language dailies in Shanghai have of late succumbed to the prevailing trying conditions resulting in the unfortunate suspension of their publication.
In this connection it may be mentioned that military activities of the contending parties along the Yangtze and Hangchow Bay sectors have recently been receiving less prominence than they had in your paper before the fall of Nanking. 1 don't think the Sino-Japanese conflict has lost its attraction as front page news. As anti-sensationalism does not imply ignoring current intricate matters, nor does it require relegating to back pages such news as should be giv prominence, 1 suggest that you resume this much needed service of supplying accounts in detail of military operations of both the Chinese and Japanese troops, for this conflict still going on concerns not Only the Chinese as a nation but those foreigners also who are in possession of considerable interests in China.
Ho WisKA
Chekiang. Der. 28.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.