It would be bad policy and still worse psychology if Chinese diplomats abroad were betrayed into the use of unnecessarily violent language in drawing attention to Japanese bombing exploits. This reflection is inspired by a cabled reference to a "tirade" of which Dr. C. T. Wang is said to have delivered himself. The description docs not seem inappropriate in the light of quoted extracts. "Technique of that kind is unimpressive because it may so easily be applied to a bad as well as to a good case. When -Dr. Wang talks of Japan being "put beyond the pale" he is taling into the same error as that Geneva spokesman who, the other day, wanted to secure the "moral isolation" of Japan. There is no need to use violent words in description of a series of actions. which are shocking and distressing the civilized world beyond measure. Actions, in fact, "speak so much louder than words that the quieter the tone of the protest—which is quite properly made—the more effective is it likely to be. It is natural for those who are themselves participants in the ordeal of one of these ghastly holocausts to strain every possible combination of epithet, diplomat who has to reproduce the atmosphere in different conditions is well-advised to select his language with a nice regard for accuracy and proportion.
Dr. Wang's out burst may do credit to his heart, but he has. to consider the importance of ensuring respect for his head as he undertakes the onerous task of expounding China's case to the American people. Excessive emotion may create a momentary flare of resentment; that transient impulse may be swiftly erased by some trick of logic when equilibrium has been restored to the mind and seeks arguments wherewith to fortify the usual processes of reasoning. It would be unfortunate if Dr. Wang and his colleagues allowed this defect of method to defeat their admirable intentions, for the case presented to them by the folly of Japanese militarism is so abundantly strong.
Reluctantly has the world accepted the fact that aerial warfare is as much a part of modern conflict as artillery, submarines or mines. It is also recognized that the very power of the machine by which man rides the air widens the margin of error in aiming at a given target. So there is less surprise than grief when this new weapon is seen to expose civilians and combatants to equal danger. Actually this constitutes a reversal to ancient barbarism when the siege of a walled city drew practically no distinction between combatant and non-combatant, although even then conventions were desperately and not always unsuccessfully applied. Broadly the British Note to Japan on the wounding of H.B.M. Ambassador stated the principle:
Although non-combatants, including foreigners resident in the country concerned, must accept the inevitable risk of injury resulting indirectly from the normal conduct of hostilities, it is one of the oldest and best-established rules of international law that direct or deliberate attacks on non-combatants are absolutely prohibited, whether inside or outside the area in which hostilities are taking place. Aircraft are in no way exempt from this rule which applies as much to attack from the air as to any form of attack.
It requires little perception to arrive at the conclusion that recent Japanese attacks from the air on cities like Nanking, Hankow and Canton and in wantonly eliminating rural villages are gross violations of this humanitarian law. The trend of world opinion has shown this quite clearly. The wonder is that grasp of so elementary a fact has not apparently been secured in Tokyo. Statements have been made to indicate a formal intention on Japan's part to respond to the protests which have been so vigorously and promptly tendered by representatives of the great powers, but there is little to show that practical action has been taken. If behind, these deliberately planned air-raids on urban areas there is a military purpose it seems to} be that of expediting a termination of hostilities by breaking the morale of the enemy's "home front" and saving the fighting men from exposure to risk. Actually it would seem that the immediate consequence is to convert civilians into intrepid defenders and to stiffen their support of their own soldiers in the field. Yet even if the military pürpose be conceded and even if it be proved that Japanese soldiers are protected by this grim diversion, it is difficult to see how the morale of one side can thus be weakened without'disastrous consequences to the morale. of those to whom it is demonstrated that fighting on their part against fighting men is tactically dangerous and unsound.
Japan is presenting China with a ready-made case and at the same time is calamitously damaging her own, such as it is. With almost tiresome iteration the world is asked to believe that Japan is not fighting the Chinese people but is generously carrying on a crusade on their behalf against an effete and corrupt government. Without troubling to inquire into the credentials thus claimed by one nation for judging and punishing the government created by another, with indis-erectly pondering over the idiosyncrasies of to note that Japan desires ta stamp out anti-Japanese activities in China. This palpably harps on a. worn-out string. It takes no account of the vigorous efforts successfully made by the Chinese Governmentyin recent years to suppress even moderate forms of criticism of Japanese actions. It ignores the complaisance which permitted Japanese representatives to intrude into Chinese educational institutions for the examination of the curricula. Yet the obvious question is whether the most intransigeant Government at Nanking could have devised a more certain and devastating campaign for the dissemination of hatred of Japan than that which is now in operation under the direction f for the contention that China must purge herself of Communism, thanks to Japanese in full subordination to the Kuomintang Government for the "-'ter consolidation of national unity. To that dubious success can Japan point. For the rest, if measure be set against measure, the straits to which her militarists are being driven in seeking to justify their aggression, are likely to have serious consequences when once the better mind of their people has been awakened to the true significance of the present reaction in China and the world outside. Dr. Wang need not indulge in "tirades." The facts will do all that is necessary.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.