Sm—Many thanks for your today's sound and cautious leading article on the plight of women, Russian women in particular, in the Far East. One may hope the authorities "concerned. will deal with the problem on the lines you suggest; /duly appointed international body of experts whose work will embrace all the principal cities of the Far East, As for the controversy among the Russ: an organizations, with all my compliments to the non-Russians for their admirable impartiality, 1 must confess that in my opinion that attitude of strict neutrality very often is merely an excuse for ignoring the certain facts, which may prove too embarrassing, when con-[sidered at the close range.
Somehow, it became an accepted notion that we Russians are the most quarrelsome lot, that we simply. feannot live without being jealous of each other and adore mud-slinging. Are we really unique in that, I wonder? Do we not know for in" stance that the certain non-Russian "Residents' Associations" are not entirely free of internal strife and their meeting are not di ways bar-
Fortunately, the over-heated atmos phere in those organizations can be easily calmed down by a timely intervention of the respective consul or a Righer authority. Alas! {tis not so simple In the midst of emig:é, where there is no consul, no uly accredited authority but a suf dent number. of pretenders.
Tt is not really so bad now, og it was before. The lessons of life and hard experience slowly bring to the Shanghai Russians the desired peace and Unity of action. 'The controversy to which you refer is, let it be hoped, tone of the last sparks of spent amditions. Allegorieally 1 would explain it like this:—all foreign communities of Shanghai may be regarded as some sort of large trading firms—Jardine's—with numerous de= [partments and affiliations, which—in. older firms—smoothly work in uni" son. Business, social work, science, sport, charity,' national holidayy—all are Tun effectively assisted by the responsible publicity. mer The Russian "trading firm" is yet {in its infancy but has already made sucha progress in many directions that it may prove a revelation at the closer acquaintance to all those, who far believed that. the Russian problem in Shanghai is limited to the frame in Russian women. I am not Dut morely state that the creative work ig going on.
Bu: sadly enough our "Publicity Department" fell into the hands of the men who have nothing to do with "the rest of the "Arm." They are clever; they speak with apparent erudition on any encyclopedic sub-Jeet no one can surpass them. in captivating headlines and, looking for patrons, they never forget to serve the caviar.
The Russian Community for the reasons stated above is unable to curb the nativities of these enterprising Publicity men and when the Russians start grumbling against them in the ress, our foreign friends eay—Another controversy! What Jquarrelsome people!
All the some, we are grateful that {in ticklish problems concerning our. selves, our foreign friends overlook the caviar and take the wiser and saner course.
Aw Exttont.
Shanghai, May 10.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.