General relief will be felt over the tone of Lord Plymouth's statement in the House of Lords regarding the Japanese demands in connection with the municipal administration in the International Settlement. That the British, French and American authorities have agreed to support the Municipal Council in opposing Japanese attempts to interfere with its functions or to alter the character of the administration, affords ample reinforcement of the position which has been taken up locally, and will undoübtedly prove of considerable assistance in maintaining the purely international character of this Settle. ment. It is apparent from Lord Plymouth's statement that the justice of certain of the Japanese claims is fully recognized, and it may be expected that in these instances a proper effort will made to meet Japanese views. Indeed it was said that the matter was under consideration. The request for greater representation on the Municipal Council is, however an entirely different question. In the first place it is an international body under the control of no one Power, and it can only be by agreement between the Powers concerned that any change can be made in the constitution of the Council itself. In that connection it should be remembered that though the Japanese are in military occupation of a portion of the International Settlement they have not conquered it: they are merely partners in the municipal undertaking as are the other nationalities taking part in its government. It is essential that its international character should be maintained, and in this connection it has to be borne in mind that both the British and American representation is on an entirely different footing from that of the other nations, for it was the fusion of their settlements which brought into being the present Internatiomal Settlement. In that Japan had no part. The growth of her interests is of a very much later date, and the fact that she is allowed two representatives on the Council should be sufficient vindication of the inter. nationality of that body.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.