The suggestion that, for the con: venience of those who cannot find tram or bus accommodation during! the rush hours, taxis should cruise! round the stopping places where] they might secure a certain amount] of custom, though it has some merit, in it ts not likely to be adopted: locally. Chiefly that is because present traffic conditions: would not permit of the vehicles idling about the Streets especially at times to which correspondents refer. But _something might be done along lines similar to those adopted in Harbin. between Pristan and New Town, There a number of motor cars ply between Pristan and Now Town.
The cars run between definite points, and wait before the stan until the seats are filled with passengers each] paying a very small sum for the transportation, the sum total, however, being as much to the car own-for as if his machine had been hired only by one passenger for the trip Jat. ordinary taxi prices. Travellers fare taken on or dropped off all along the route and the system hot unlike small bus service. It would cost but Tittle more per head in Shanghai than is charged by the transportation concerns and the convenience would undoubtedly qeat. The ideal would be to have Such cars running along specified raules, such as from the Bund—to St. George's, from, say, noon to] 1230 pin. and vice versa from 1.0 {92 pam. and appropriate times at the beginning and end of the day, forces of the rest of the signatories to any such pact, Tt provides every tone of the Powers concerned just the same degree of security. It docs not, of course, wholly meet French desires because it does not provide] for guarantees having special. intention against Germany, but, impartially acted upon, it would provide equal safely for any and all of the Signatories. Whether in actual "prac: tice it would work out as well as it appears it would do in theory is open to doubt. Certainly it would Fequire the re-writing of the non aggression pacte which have recently, formed such a feature of Ruropean diplomacy, for otherwise the partis might find themselves hampered _by commitments already existing, But the greater difficulty would be the provision of means of obtaining conceried gation. When the controversy as to when the German forces invaded the French borders atthe commencement of the Great War Femembered, and when it is realized how quickly it would be desirable to @ecide upon the aerial aggression the alleged offender, doubt may be {felt as machinery capable of moving swiftly enough can be devised ovobthe speediest "possible action when necessary, and yet sure anous!
prevent nations entering into after all would be a common without adequate proof of a. breach of the pact' which ik proposed. Doubtiess some scheme can be perfected, but it is more than likely that unless it is very cleverly drafted I prove too cumbersome to secure!
quickness of action necessary to] minimize the evil effects of even a short aerial. war.
There may be many obstacles in the way to local adoption of such arrangement and the possible further addition to traffic troubles might ultimately prevent it, though there would seem to be no harm in Investigating the possibility of thus extending transport facilities which fre s0 greatly needed.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.