Te the Editor of the "NoniCaxa DaiLy News" stam regarding the bombing of the Sm,—With reference to the news
steamer No¢mi Julis—registered in Britain under the British fag—which appeared in your issue of August 17, there is one sentence which the average reader might have glanced at somewhat cursorily and that is; Tne paper. learns that. only one member of the crew of 25 is British While the master isa foreigner." Perhaps such. a. reader does not eallze the true state of affairs, which is that. there are many such ips sailing the seos, similarly manned, at the present time.
Nevertheless, one reads of public indignation against the British, Gov-fernment because no drastic action is taken over these bombings. Why Should such a step be taken, thereby Flsking the lives of our armed forces? No.-Sir, 1 think it would be much mote appropriate if the populace dis-Played its indignation "against the British Government for allowing any Vessels to sail the seas under the British flag without, in many cases, a Single Briton on board.
Tt may be argued that the British Government permit this for" the feason that such ships would be use-{ul incase of war, in which case, in view of the wimest secrecy war re-'Quires, who, may I. ask, would man Such vessels—the Britishers who have been left ashore to kick their heels together year after year while their families starve and whose fate ignored by a Government which Destowed. such" glowing praise them during the Great War, perhaps?
It would be pertinent, then, to. ask what other country. besides Britain allows. ships to carry. its. national colours without demanding that at feast. the professional "personnel be natives of the country concerned. I fam certain that the answer would be Jan. eye-opener. to many ind would also. cause far greater indignation among the populace of Britain than that shown for lack of drastic action against the bombings of so-called British ships, T repeat, so-called, because this follows logically, whatever the niceties of the law may have say about the matter.
Shanghai, Aug. 20.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.