The British Note to Japan on the wounding of the British Ambassador to China, Sir Hughe Knatchbull-Hugessen, is warmly commended today in the press.
The terms of the Note, says "The Times," will be approved by the public as just. No British Government could have asked for less in satisfaction for a "shocking outrage." To have presented stiffer demands, "The Times" proceeds, would have been to allow well-justified resenttment to outrun reason. The demands are reasonable, and it is hoped that the Japanese Government will prom-ply and unequivocally give the required satisfaction, "Japan's disregard of the public law of the world in her dealings with China puts another severe strain on the structure of civilization," the journal declares The Japanese, it continues, are a great nation and have a great future before them. Some are blinded by a narrow realism that sees only an immediate objective, but others, wiser and more far-sighted, must know that, in an ordered world based on slowly built-up rules of civilization, Japan can win a richer place than she can gain by force in a world of anarchy.
"The Times" emphasizes that the British Government, without abandoning any of her rights, will cantinue to work for peace. It stresses that the real issue is.the attack on a party of non-combatants The "Note, the journal concludes, stands on no petty point of honour. but for a fundamental principle which cannot; be allowed to lapse into desuetude.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.