Mr. Moreing later on rubbed in the point by enumerating the large forces, including the Municipal police and volunteers which were available and plainly adequate to preserve order. The responsibility—thus thrown upon Japan for all that has since happened is a heavy one and incidentally an important point when compensation for damages is claimed.
On this subject Mr, Moreing was excellent. He emphasized strong truth which I find that many people have never properly appreciated. namely that Hongkew and Yangtszepoo are not a Japanese Concession but part of the International Settle ment. He drew a moving picture of the numbers of British residents of appear ungrateful to my hosts. But they could not help themselves. There was no other room where the dinner could be held, With brighter surroundings Members may be more reconciled to hav-ug to pay more for their food. It seems an extraordinary thing that the Kitchen Committee always shows a los to tell much more easily caterers what the daily demand will be. Last year it lost over £200. The Treasury flatly refuses to help; so it has been decided that as Members are to get more pay, they must also pay more. For example. henceforward they will pay 2!ed for a'cup of tea instead of 2d. Well, that is precisely the increased charge which Lyons, the A.B.C. and Express Dairy found it necessary to inflict on the proletariat some months ago. So why should politicians escape?
Epstein's "Consummatum Est"
Epstein has done it again. One had thought that the world had grown tired of wrangling about his work, but, perhaps because we have had little of late to get excited about, a fine storm has blown up over his "Consummatum Est" ("It is finished"), a recumbent statue of the dead Christ, carved from a block of Derbyshire alabaster weighing 2% tons. The figure is robed as for burial, the arms extended straight by the sides with the hands palm upwards, these and the feet showing the print of the nails. Hands, feet and features show the usual distortion and exaggeration which we accept now as a matter of course. The controversy is, whether the statue means anything. what it means, and whether it ought to mean it. There is also the question of how you are to look at it, from a height. from the level, or on a slope.
The approaches to the Leicester Galleries yesterday, when the statue was first publicly shown, were impassable for cars, and in the galleries was hard to move.
Mr, Epstein's own account of the statue is, "I was deeply moved by Bach's D minor Mass and have tried small means in these districts all of whom have suffered heavy loss, many of them completely destituted by the Japanese occupation; and he sharply criticized the Foreign Office's attitude towards compensation claims which in a manner unfortunately familiar to the British in China, draws all sorts of legalist distinctions between ahd and invalid claims. and provides the other side with quite um es for not paying. Mor will certainly be heard on this subject.
Much Firmer Attitude Advocated Mr. Moreing also suggested that the Government could with advantage take a much firmer attitude with Japan than it had yet done. He referred to the results of the ceaseless campaign against the smuggling in North China kept up by the China Committee, which asked certainly 80 or 90 questions on the subject: Japan began by denying that there was any smuggling; then she had to admit it:
that Japanese were engaged in nally the Chinese Customs were again allowed to function in North China, "Let us say to the Japanese," Mr. Moreiny concluded, "We recognize your difficulties and your interests Tecognize your position in Support your population largely by the export of manufactured articles. But We cannot and will not agree to your Constant nibbling away of the territory of China. or to your adoption of position which imperils our interests ind is reacting unfavourably on our Commerce and. on the lives of our people at home"
The speech was distinguished by the amount of local knowledge which Mr. Moreing showed, and, as always with such speeches the House listened attentively.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.