Shanghai Under Water Shanghai has experienced many floods in recent Years but none of the persistency of the present. For nearly a week there has been a feonstant downpour of rain giving doleful confirmation to the Chinese belief that we are in for a Tong spell, and the result has been large areas of the Setilement and the French Conces-lon have been under water, curtailing tref. preventing sporting activities and causing general inconvenience. The' French Concession, especially around Avenue Joffre, hias suffered worse than any other part of the foreign areas and it does not seem possible that there WIN be any subsiding of the floods for some days even if the rain stops, for the district has been so thoroughly saturated, Accustomed to these and other emergencies of a man-made character, Shanghai has philosophically accommodate itself to the disabilities created by this unusual deluge and perhaps in the near future the authorities may fave an opportunity once again to sluely the flood problem which has not yet been generally solved in spite of all sorts of schemes for increasing the levels of the fonds, The Bund and the Central district have proved an exception and one of the highly Satisfactory features has been the relative freodom of this area from inundation, Up to few years ego there was a recurrence of serious floods which did considerable damage to the basements of buildings in the Central district and It was not until a comprehensive scheme to increase the height of road levels, coupled with the Installation of a pumping system, that tie evil was overcome. Convincing evidence of the fsuecess of this scheme has been provided during the Inst few days for which the Public Works Department ig to be congratulated, Japanese in Shanghai During the last few weeks there Ins been great improvement in the relationships between {he Japanese army and the foreign communities In Shanghai. There has been a decrease in the Ineldents involving Japanese military contro! fand. the rights of other nationals. residing in an international area. Mr. Neville Chamberlain, the British Prime Minister, had occasion a few ays ago to refer (o this happier state of affairs, bout while from an international point of view this "condition exists, it is a pity that on a simple question of (ramie regulations this stnteiment cannot be aid to apply. Large convoys troops and supplies pass through the Interna. tional Settlement daily, especially along, 'The Bund, which is main' supply roule to Japa-nego forces in Nantao and beyond, but it can jot be said that any improvement has been fected in this respect, TraMe lights, rules of the Yond, heed for other people on the road Still seem to be of little importance to Japanese miliary motor lorry drivers passing between Hongkew and Nantao. Daily instances of Absolute. disregard are too frequent to be mentioned but they are developing a sense among other people that: "Here come the Sapanese, Better stop because nobody knows what they are gain to do or which way they fare going to pass" On Sunday about noon there was flagrant disregard for gramme regulations on The Bund, A long column appeared from Nantao, via the French Concession, and While! tramcars were passing both ways this Columns split up and passed them on both sides of the road not only hazarding other trame but also their own in. this mad effort to cover the Bund in the shortest possible time. Tram drivers, not knowing what to do, immediately drew up while the Japanese column passed fortunately without accident on its way To Hongkew. It the intention of these military rivers. Is to become Involved In serious consequences they are proceeding along the proper Hines, but, og this Journal has pointed out time and time again, it Is no part of the wishes of the Japanese higher command that such an Intention has official approbation. The question than Is posed: Is there any degree of discipline enforceable to cheek this state of affairs? Motor ear owners in the Settlement are faced with a demand to pay a ten per cent, increase on their fences, but they are legitimately entitled to complain against these constant violations Sapanese military drivers. And the less affluent Fesident, riding ina rickshaw, will add his support to the complaint, The Peace-feeler During the weekend the Peiping Provisional Government Issued what is believed to be a peace-feeler in the shape of a statement on the horrors of war, contending that it will take a century to recover from them, and appealing! {fo the Hankow leaders, including Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek to acknowledge defeat, assuring then that posterity would forgive them if they did, Tt_was {o be anticipated that some such development would occur following the breaching of the Yellow River dykes and the general hold up of the Japanese advance Upon' Hankow and the consequent change in. their plans. No one, who. realizes the slightest degree the appalling misery and "suffering which has" been" and being inflicted upon millions of innocent Chinese, will fail to sympathize with any appeal {or peace, and common humanity would seem fo demand that even such an appeal as. this should be given heed. That the Peiping Provi-Slonal Government, @ creature of the Japanese Army in China, should make such an appeal this juneture'is highly significant, for it will not be believed that it was issued without the consent of the Japanese advisers to that Government, if not upon their instructions. During this past week the Hankow Government has elvan the most striking proof of its intention to fight tothe bitter end by the-culting of the Yellow River dykes. It was a terrible decision to make, but the very fact it was taken Is indicative of the sternness with which the Kuo-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.