The local correspondents swung into action splendidly on August 14, and now that the London papers of the next day have come to hand it is possible to discover how terrible were the times through which Shanghai passed. Thu: pondent of the "Sunda: "did his stuff" perfectly. Some of the choicer specimens follow:—
"Shanghai is now struck by the havoc of a cruel and horrible wag, 1 thought I had seen war at its wêrst in the last 30 years; but I have never Seen anything like this ruthless devastation."
"The roar of heavy artillery, antiaircraft and machine guns and rifle is deafening. With the crash of each falling bomb or collapsing building a fresh stream of panic stricken Chinese hurries into the European quarter and many are trampled underfoot in the mad rush."
3 "During the bombing of the British owned Palace Hotel the Manager rushed downstairs shouting that there were six dead in one room."
"Amid the hail of death from the skies à European woman on the Sanking Road was attempting to deliver her daughter of a child. There was nobody to help her but she went bravely on with her task regardless of peril."
"The fate of China's millions lies in the hands of slight Soong Maylin Wife of Chiang Kai-shek, China's di tator."
"When Chiang Kai-shek, Premi Dictator of China, left his capital a Nanking to meet. the Japanese invaders, he left weeping, his chier adviser, Soong Mayling, his wit "Soong Mayling has for long been the real brains behind the Chinese Government."
"Chiang draws his strength and inspiration from his diminutive wit "Many Britons, Europeans, and Americans spent the night in cellars."
It is very clear that the lad who wrote that has a vivid imagination and should go far, but how he found it all out in so short a time goodness only knows.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.