This journal's Peiping correspondent has succinctly appraised the causes of the unfortunate series of clashes which, beginning on the night of July 7 at Marco Polo Bridge (Lukouchiao) near Peiping, have been interrupted by temporary truces, including at one time a withdrawal by both sides, Jumpiness' on the Chinese and "tactlessness' on the Japanese side, that is the verdict of disinterested opinion. The Japanese Foreign Office ha: received a formal Chinese protest and is evidently anxious to transfer the issue from the militmy to the diplomatic file. Responsible authorities on both sides desire to restore peaceful relationships and, until the Aghting broke out again on the evening of July 10, it was hoped that the situation had been localized.
There is no reason to abandon that hope for apparently the renewal of fighting is due to another misunder= standing, the Japanese believing that the Chinese had violated a verbal agreement by militarily reoccupying Wanping which it had been decided should be taken over by the Peace Preservation Corps, a police force under, General Shih Vu-sen, For the moment it is advisable to take calm view of an admittedly unstable situation. Reports of decisions taken on both sides yes~ terday are plainly grave; they must, in default of further developments, bbe regarded as precautionary rather than minatory. Nevertheless apprehension cannot be dismissed. De-one time of -the pretensions of Sapancee' soldiers wil not be alowed to obtain proper perspective of this new Sino-Japanese clash if. fR-relles exclusively. onthe dex spatches emanating from Japanese hilary sources in Hentai Uf how ever, there is a capacity in Japan for adjusting judgment to the focus of the new concept of which Jape anese statesmen have spoken, the tone of there despatches may tome Under salutary seruting. Thett bectracy is not impugned-—tor want completely sutheriiaive "tee {ocmation—but no coe here can fal to note that the trend of the nar-
Tetlve suggests a complete tne of Appreciation of ihe fact. thatthe Japanese garrison is dealing with the soldiers and people of a friendly country in which tat, garrison stationed by greement but not in the true. sense of the term sa army "of occupation, " Here. in Shanghai it wil be recalled that in recent months the Japanese naval Iithorities have expressly, taken precautions to ensure that, their forces here have avoided provoca~ tive laps such as were 90. dsturbing to, all" communities "in 'Shanghai. It may be true that even now" Shanghailanders" wih that STapanese naval occaslone' were less Gbteusive but ie will be, admitted hat Admiral Hasegaw's efforts have greatly reduced the possibilities tion. Me would seem thats Sinlier "prudaace "would not be finiss in the North, always assum= ing that Tokyo has the full support teca) Sapanese. miliary fers in its desire to improve Sino-Japanese relationships. spite the not unnatural attempt of Chinese observers to recall the! precedent of the clash at Fengtat last September when a similar nervousness led to fighting which eventually resulted in Japanese occupation of Fengtai and con sequent command of the Peiping-'Suiyuan, Peiping-Tientsin lines, it is not believed that any deliberate plan animated the Japanese troops, Although obviously "Marco Polo Bridge is a vital point on the Peiping-Hankow line, The fact that the clash has occurred docs not, however, preclude the. Japanese from using it to strengthen their military position in the North; opportunism has seldom lagged' behind the divagations of their Army.
'The spokesman of the Foreign' OMflee at Tokyo has asserted that, Japanese garrison troops in North China have under treaty arrangement the right {0 carry out manoeuvres without restriction of time or place. Even the issue of notice to the locality, except when field-firing is being indulged in, is held to be unnecessary although, according to the spokesman, it has bboen given as a matter of grace and was, indeed, so given on the present decision. Without pretending to interpret Sino-Japanese understand ings which include, by the way, certain unpublished _agreements such as the Ho-Umetsu pact of 1935, it is possible to suggest that the: rights. of a. foreign garrison to! exercise itself are surely governed by certain practical considerations for the convenience of the rest of the community and for the stiscoptibilities of local residents, in-eluding Chinese troops in legitimate performance of duties in their own country. Whatever may be the status given to foreign armies in China under the Boxer protocols, to which Tokyo has referred, it may be doubted whether it amounts to that of "armies of occupation' although even an army of occupa-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.