March 6.
The conversations last week between the Japanese authorities and the Shanghai Muni~ cipal Council, with regard to the campaign of terrorism and the ce-operation required suppress it, fortunately resulted in an agree-mont which should prove satisfactory to both sides. That judgment has to be arrived at fon the facts which have been made public by the Japanese in the communique which they issued on Friday night, and as that has not been denied by the Municipal Council, it is assumed that it substantially represents the real state of affairs. The Japanese communique failed to make it clear, but it is nevertheless a fact, that the integrity of the municipal police force has been in no way impaired, that the Council maintains its full Policing rights, and that under the Land Regulations there can be no question of independent police action in the International Settlement except by the Municipal Police, while any ce-operation with outside forces will have to be with the consent of, and under arrangement with the Commissioner of Police. It is not to be believed for one instant that oMcials will ever refuse to cooperate in proper cases, for it is obviously in the. interests of the International Settlement, just as much' as of the Japanese and their' Chinese proteges, that the rule of law shall be completely vindicated and enforced within its boundaries. In this connection, however, it is necessary to point out that ce-operation can never be unilateral; it does mean the subordination of individual interests to the attainment of a common purpose, and where that purpose is the eradication of terrorism it is imperative that whatever is done within the Intertiational Settlement for the extermination of the assassin, and the general reduction of crime, shall be, paralleled in the areas just across the boundaries. There should be no misunderstanding about it; the real point at issue is not merely the. conditions which are alleged to-exist within the foreign areas, but also the general state, of crime in the whole of the area outside, but contiguous with its borders.
Since the big raid in the Jessfield area on February 22 there seems to have been a general improvement in the situation. There have been one or two isolated incidents, but following that imposing demonstration in what have become so aptly named the "badlands," and the extensive erection of barbed-wire barricades in many parts of the Settlement the incidence of crimes of violence and of assassination has become encouragingly less. It is not suggested that these two measures alone are responsible for the betterment in the situation which is now to be seen. There is every reason to believe! that the Municipal Police were even then already gaining upon the terrorist gangs, in the same manner as they have eventually gained upon any crime wave which has Started in the Settlement. The initiative in matters of this sort always rests with the criminal, No police in the world can expect to be able to thwart crime, and it is only: when a number of auch offences have been committed that the authorities can be aware: of the existence of a new wave. It is then that they can swing into action, and it has to be said that throughout the history of the Shanghai Municipal Police there has not been tone crime wave which has not ultimately been suppressed. It would be idle at the moment to suggest that this latest outbreak has been finally dealt with, though it can be said with comparative safely that at any rate for the' ast eleven days the terrorists have been presented with new problems. The action of the authorities in erecting barbed-wire barricades thereby reducing the avenues of! escape to a number more readily controlled bby the police has brought about a new set of conditions which disorderly elements will have to study anew before they can decide upon their next plan of campaign. Whatever they may decide to do in the future, itis clear that the precautions, which have already been taken, have presented them with an entirely new state of affairs and reduced very considerably their chances of being able to perpetrate outrages and "get away with it" It would be premature to say that the Police have the situation already fully under control, Indeed it is believed they would be the last to make any such claim, but there is evidence available to show that it is better in hand. now, than it has been at any time during the past month or so.
Present improvements can be bettered only' with the completest ce-operation of the: authorities responsible for the maintenance of peace and order on the other side of the boundary. The passage of unruly elements in and out of the Settlement has been placed under control by the closing of the alleyways leading from external municipal roads to the areas over which the Council has not jurisdic~ tion. By that means the difficulties created by a conflict of jurisdiction have to a very' Jarge extent been minimized. Thus the' question of the resurgence of crime has been reduced to two problems, probably connected in some of their aspects but requiring treat~ ment by two different bodies—the authorities: on both sides of the border. It should not prove impossible, given mutual goodwill and. determination, now to destroy this threat to the peace of Shanghai. Efforts should not be: merely directed towards the extermination of the political assassin but towards a general improvement in the crime situation, to the! restoration of good order and the eradication of those foch which undoubtedly attract the attention of the criminal elements. The raids which have been carried out in the Settlement during the course of last week, may not have been productive of many arrests, but there can be very little doubt but that they have had the effect, of driving the terrorist under ground, if only for the time being. 'The terms of agreement as announced in the! Japanese communique indicate that avery' realistic view has been taken of the situation. 'That is entirely as it should be, and it is) necessary that the terrorists should be made to realize that the neutrality of the foreign areas of Shanghai will be maintained at all' costs. They should form no base for hostile acts against the Japanese or their proteges, and those who are guilty of such should, when apprehended be treated in the manner which has been suggested. That is not only 'a question which affects the security of the: foreign areas, but is a matter of common justice.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.