But what is impressing and distressing the people of this large and Woalthy province is the gross injustice and unfairness of the present strug> fle, Japanese. military' advisors. a too welt trained and "too intelligent not to know that China was means ready or prepared. to fight Japan, But West China with the rest of China saw that Japan was not only bent, but determined to force an issue, West China, which compr Szechuen, Kueichow and Yunnan, tits population of some 90,000,000" and these three provinces are as deter mined as the Central Government to withstand this unjust aggression and ruthless warfare on the part of Japan, And. the conclusion they have rived at is something like this: Japan, spite of what she says to the con: wary, is bent on wrecking the young, Republic, not beeatiso China has Jeanings towards Communism, whicn fs'mere Japanese pile, but because fear has seized the hearts of the war lords, And this is where the people this large province see the in-Justice and unfairness of the present Szechuen, with every other part of the Republic, is: preparing for a long struggle, Brussels, Geneva and Washington are broken reeds. Whi ever the end of the struggle may be, 8 new nation has been born, th fo the present Japanese onslaught. Boys and girls, "young men and women, all over West China foresee the significance. of Japanese {riend= ship and domination," An troy hec!
any boot is there to evush and oppress, What his impressed' Sze~ chuenese at the present time Is. the Interest being taken by the Chinese merchant in the struggle in the north and at the coast, Business men fa mule take very little interest in China's internecine wars, but. the present aggression has stivyed their indignation. If it is a mere question of commerce, they say then let us trade and be friendly. But the merchant in West China can now seo for she is secking for herself? The nations of the world to-day are secking safely in association and ents. Can anyone deny 10 the privileges of other coun-7 Apparently in some quarters this is being denied, Ir the young Republic is being driven in any given direction, accepting the principle of safety first is she entirely to blaine?
Young men in West China, specially. business young men, are now doing what they never did before, namely, aking a lively interest in polities and world. events" and movements. We Jnave frequently spoken with young wrehants, bankers and students, and seem well informed on the at Uitude of foreign nations towards the resent conic, The daily press and the nightly radio reports are keenly fand widely circulated and intelligent [interest 1s being taken in the deliber rations and discussions indulged in by foreign powers, the slogan all over the province is: /Shansi is having her turn, it may be oars next. Sztchuen 1s, therefore, with other parts of West 'China, pre= paring to defend herself against' at-ack," Apart from her cruel aggression' in the coastal provinces West 'China has very little grievance with Japan, 'She has, however, been very uretully warned against' this subtle and dangerous aggressor, And. with her parts of the sepubile Szechuen anticipating @ long snd dificult struggle. aliclous Charge A frequent topic of discussion in the province is tne alleged enlarge of ammuuism, Surely such a charge Jean be refuted, America, Germany, Holy and range have sufficient residents in the Interior of China moke some authentic statement this question; and British Consuls are tioned in many of the important interior cities, Surely Japan cannot be mistaking Chinese Nationalism for Chinese Communism! Certain things will grow luxuriantly on Chinese sot, but any close observer on Chinese fe, Japanese or otherwise, will have rear difieulty in finding soit in China suitable for the growth of Communism, China is. too cultured, intelligent, commercial and humorous to appreciate Communism.
China is and always has been pro-pared to show herself friendly" t0- Wards those who ore (rlendly—even Japan herself cannot deny this, What feountry In the world would tolerate Japanese military maneuvres in China the way that China has What nation among nations would maintain (friendly " relations with a neighbour as China has done? And app rently quite pre= pared to carry oF
'And according to 'Szechuenese history will record the words, "It might" have been." might' have been warm friendship between China and Japan, It might have been an example to the warring tions of the world, It might have een peace and concord in the Pacific. T'might have been peace and has many on the Asiatic Continent, might ave been peace and happiness between the two greatest nations the world, "And. the people of Szechuen Keep repeating, "And it might be otherwise."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.