The three stories of outrages which occurred on Tuesday, two within the French Concession and the International Settlement, and the third which took place in the notorious Fahwah Village, together form an interesting commentary upon the sustained attacks which are being made by the local Japanese officials and press upon the police of the foreign areas and the British military. An armed robbery in the French Concession led to a running pistol duel between the robbers and the Settlement police after they had fled from the French Concession. One was arrested, one shot and killed while the third managed to escape. Three alleged members of a gang vho are said to have brutally assaulted and killed a Chinese private watchman on Monday morning, were arrested on Tuesday, the prisoners resisting arrest in the course of which a shot accidentally fired wounded a Chinese detective. An assault by employees of one of the gambling dens in the western area led to two of the assailants being arrested. In Fahwah Village in the afternoon two Koreans were shot, and also a Chinese, by a gang of men who managed to make good their escape. The Ta Tao police were unable to chase the criminals, being armed only with batons, and consequently unevenly matched with them, while something like fifty minutes elapsed between the time of the crime and the arrival of a number of Japanese military police. The criminal gang had by that time made good their escape. The Settlement police had already completed their enquiries to ascertain that the shootings did not occur in Settlement territory. These cases are mentioned as showing the contrast between the efficiency of the foreign police, and those supposed to be responsible for maintaining law and order in the western district, beyond Settlement limits, and off Settlement roads. The foreign police made seven arrests within an appreciably short period of time after the various outrages, the Ta Tao and the Japanese military police up to the time of writing had arrested none. The comparison is made for the purpose of showing how the facts demonstrate the utter meretriciousness of the Japanese criticisms of the foreign police forces.
Indeed it shows more. It exposes the falseness of the claim made by the "Tairiku Shimpo" that it is the "British authorities' mechanical' refusal to recognize the existence and function of the Greater Shanghai Municipality Police which has brought about lawlessness in the region" and "may be said to have originated all the trouble" The journal in question repeats the old formula contending that the British authorities—by which it is assumed to mean the municipal authorities—have no other practicable means of saving the western area from its present plight of lawlessness than to cooperate with the police of Greater Shanghai. There is, and can only be one form of cooperation in this matter, and that is that the police of Greater Shanghai should exercise the same diligence and determination in dealing with the criminal elements in areas over which they alone have jurisdiction as is being shown in the French Concession and the International Settlement. As matters stand at the present moment there is every ground for believing, in the light of very patent evidence, that the Ta Tao and the Japanese military police are not only not doing their duty, but are by reason of their inactivity, and the toleration of conditions which are a disgrace to any organ calling itself an administration, actually encouraging these criminals in their evil courses. The existence of the gambling dens which could be suppressed in a few hours, if the municipality of Greater Shanghai really desired to do so, is the one great factor which has conduced to the present lawlessness, and so long as gambling continues to be permitted so long will these unruly elements operate in the district. But if it is the considered policy of the Chinese authorities to permit gambling, it is still their duty to see that everything possible is done to maintain law and order in their own territory, and it is in the fulfilment of their very obvious duty that the only possible cooperation with the authorities of the foreign areas is to be found. Efficiency outside the foreign areas as thorough as that within them is the only solution of a very grave problem.
in this connection the "shadow boxing," in which the lead is taken by the very ingenuous "Tairiku Shimpo," assumes features which are not unamusing. Referring to the statement issued by the Municipal Council, on the subject of Japanese consular representations regarding political assassinations within the foreign areas, the Japanese contemporary describes the action of the Council in doing so as "ungentlemanly." If to seek to correct false impressions created by the statements of Japanese authorities is displeasing to them—for naturally they would like their own version to be accepted as correct—that is one thing; to dub it as ungentlemanly conduct is entirely another. But gentlemen seek to perpetuate the truth, and the obvious mis-statements in which the Japanese press have recently been indulging most certainly deprive them of any authority on the subject of good manners. What there is behind the encouragement of prevailing lawlessness in the western area, and the agitation by the Japanese press is not difficult to guess. It is to be hoped that there is no foundation for the belief which is held by quite a number of people that the encouragement of crime, which is to be inferred from the strange reluctance of the Chinese and Japanese authorities to mend matters, is designed to enforce the collaboration for which the "Tairiku Shimpo" so eloquently, if unreasonably, in the circumstances, pleads. If that is indeed the purpose of the present course of conduct, it should fail. The use of criminal activities as a weapon of local politics may seem very clever, but it is one which is as dangerous to the wielder as to those against whom it is levelled. The authorities in the foreign areas would do best to see that the maintenance of law and order in their several jurisdictions is as efficient as human determination can possibly make it. It has been proved just in these last few days to be praiseworthily effective, and that is something which cannot be said of those who are at present so clamant in their very capricious criticism.
Agreement Hangs Fire In the sum total of its effects the Anglo-Italian agreement of April 16, 1938, upon which so many hopes were pinned, seems to have been a disappointment. That agreement speciied exchanges of certain military information; maintenance of the status quo in the western Mediterranean; no interference with the independ"nze of Arabia and no fortification of he Red Sea islands formerly under the Turkish re; control of damaging propaganda; pre. ervation of British rights in the region of Lak: Tsana, the source of the Nile; the free use ci the Suez Canal to all Powe id certain othe: natters which are more important in detail n in their relation to the general situation. The agreement was made provisional, however, upon the ut point that Italy would first order the evacuation of all Italian troops and volunteers from Spain. Without this, the agreement did not come into full force. in spite of, the fact that the British Govminent did its share in ensuring that thi League of Nations left its members free to exercise their own judgment over the recognition of the Italian conquest of Ethiopia. The ins to a certain extent to have proved s openly voiced by Mr. Anthony en followers over the good faith "chind Ita promises were not altogether groundless, for. far from withdrawing Italian clunteers from Spain, Italy seems to ba recently taken a larger part in the campaign the extent that Italian officialdom is boasting an Italian victory in the successes won by he Nationalist leader, General Francisco Franco. In the light of these developments, it night be thought fruitless to accuse Rome of violation of the agreement by the occupation of Majorca, and the strengthening of the Italian garrison in Lybia. The first threatens to disturb the status quo in the western Mediterraneon, and the second does nct comply with the Provision of the agreement over the exchange of military and naval information. But considering that the principal condition of the grecment—the withdrawal from Spain—has never been fulfilled and that, strictly speaking, the agreement may, therefore, be said to have fever been in force, too much weight should not be laid on these infractions. This purely juridical consideration does not, howe wi zo the seriousness of the Italian m. which, agreement or no agreement, are enough in themselves to cause serious concern to those Powers whose aim is appeasement in Europe.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.