To the Editor of the "Nonrit-Ciuwa Dany News"
Sim—As an old Volunteer, but one who maintains a fairly close touch with the present regime, I feel it only right to Join Issue with RS.W.
Mr. P, H, Prevor as regards their' dangerous contention that the Shang-hal Volunteer Corps should "be abolished, Personally I have not the slightest fear that their proposal will bbe seriously considered by the powers that be who. unlike RS, W. and Mr. Paevor will have within their recollection the services rendered by the 8. V. C. in, for instance, the autumn of 1924 "the early summer of 1025 and January/February 1992.
What R.S.W, and Mr, Prevor cannot understand is the vital necessity for strong, well-organized and up-to-date Volunteer Force, which we now have and which, if once destroyed, could never be replaced, necessity as I see it, (1) The Foreign Garrisons in Shan hat can be withdrawn ata moment, without reference to the Council," They are primarily here for the protection of their own nationals' and. only" as long their" respective. Governments Gheowe "that they. shall" remain It fo unlikely that the great nations who" at the present moment maintain Garrisons Shanghat will do'so.at_the out breate of the next World War—a War that is "dangerously near. They will withdraw them because they will "have more Important work for them to do elsewhere. They will, at the same time, tell their "nationals to" look after themselves, Later-on in the War these Garrisons maybe replace sand" when transportation 15 by personnel unfit for the Pield. "This 1s the during the strenuous days of 1932) that nothing I say must be construed fs an attack upon any individual nor even upon the S.V.C. as such, but upon its usefulness. The S.V.C. has a history of which it can be justly proud but it is not with that that T am dealing. Tt is with its present and its possible future. I stand con-vineed that there is no further call for the S. M. C. to continue "playing at soldiers" in these days when the Munleipal_ purse is running dry and the greater portion of the $700,000 expended annually can be used to better purpose. Ideas and conditions too have altered since the good old days. The SMC. is not a. sovereign body and never was and it should therefore have nothing to do with purely military matters which, going hand in hand with the political, most remain the direct concern of the National Governments, (Qt [can find no better argument for my contention against the real usefulness of the S.V.C. than the very statement B. Brocxuouse has clearly enunciated under Ttem U.) of his letter, He says, "The foreign Garrisons in Shanghai can be withdrawn at any moment without ref erence to the Council, ete., ete, Precisely; there is where the possible usefulness of a Volunteer' Corps would immediately cease, It would take a considerable professional army to defend Shanghai against either internal or external aggression, Asking 1,909 armed men, therefore, fo hold a city of a million and a quarter souls with a seventeen mile perimeter, undefended water and air approaches, demilitarized zone, is. plumly ridiculous, Along a considerable and the more dangerous (from a point of view of external aggression) sections of the Boundary, long lines of dwellings have frontage on the Municipal Road while their back entrances lead from Chinese territory. Would a few strands of barbed wire prove sufi-dent defence against trained troops? Here I will ask your correspondent and others kindly to disabuse their minds of the age-old idea about the Chinese soldier, 1¢ Chapel in 1932 has not altered their views they must be pretty blind indeed, the "Votuntecr Force "done away. with and. should, {in quite likely, the Regular For ian Troops. be withdrawn, then Pol (2) There is no call for a military unit to resist riots or internal disturbance of a purely localized nature. That Is the function of the Police and the Specials, If they are not in sufcient numbers to-day, turn the §.V.C. into a Specials Reserve. Their de fensive powers would not minimized by the change in name and organization, and colour of the uniform, ore sirees on external aggression Why, Edo not know, 'Theres gen ily' ime. to organize or extend sting organization. when external fuererion "threatens, because formation {s generally available beforehand on which preparatory steps fan. be taken. 'There Te never ime create or extend "an organization order to. prevent Internal ds Banco bes Internal dtrinnce ap with at moat 24 hours' warn se generally 10 minutes only. 'The ngantzntion must be in being, ticking over and ready to ast Civil disturbance must, be nipped before if buds, not when it fs in bud practically in flower, If) not Stuoshed. before or "inthe "initial Stages, it will' inevitably. lead terious les of life and property. Loss of fe and property: means com tmorcini setback for anything from Ianths to 3 yenrs. Can we afford the "Hire for°the "sake of saving fhoustnd doses. Armed Fore fan insurance dare-we rise being une Insured for tie price of the yearly policy?
Shanghai, May 7, (8) "The Volunteers Corps Is supposed by its presence to ensure law and order. There were times when acting as an irritant to Chinese feelings it threatened to ensure just the contrary, We came not to fight but to trade.
(4) The International character of! the Corps is its greatest weakness. Bach national group in the final obeys only the orders of its Government. Thus during the Great War one section of the S.V.C. became the "enemy" In name as well as in fact of the other section. Again in 1032, Headquarters S.V.C. had no more control over the doings of the Japanes Company than the man in the moon, There might have been a Vialson ameer but the situation re-_ mained as T say.
So much for the political aspect! Shades of Ruritania and Gilbert! But why enlarge upon the subject?
(S} The artillery are unable to fire live shell locally! And the Air Detonce Section possesses no means of defence against a quite possible alr invasion. Well, weill (6) Even if Tam proven wrong In my contention that the Corps is an anachronism, the employment of a considerable number of Regular officers and N.C.O's still remains sheer waste. The S.V.C. cannot ac-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.