In another column will be found the text of a modus vivendi on the subject of policing the Western Outside Roads Area, which, after considerable negotiation, has been reached between the Shanghai Municipal Council and the City Government of Greater Shanghai. It is an interesting and important document, which it is to be hoped will mark the commencement of the readjustment of relations between the two authorities, and lead ultimo ately to a satisfactory settlement of those problems which have arisen as a result of hostilities around Shanghai in 1937. Those, who will undoubtedly find the terms of the modus vivendi which was initialled yesterday afternoon somewhat vague, should remember that it represents an agreement in principle, and that there still remain those many questions of detail which will have to be arranged by further negotiation between the two parties. Briefly put what has been agreed upon is the establishment of a mixed police force by the City Government of Greater Shanghai in which a number of officers, including certain principal officers shall be appointed by the City Government from among candidates recommended by the Shanghai Municipal Council. It is understood that the new agreement is in the main similar to that which was reached on the self-same question in 1932, but which was never carried into effect, and if this is the case then it may be expected that the Commissioner of the new police force will be Chinese, but that his Deputy will be a foreigner recommended by the Shanghai Municipal Council and appointed by the City Government. There is not much to be found in the modus vivendi indicating exactly how the rest of the police force will be constituted, but it is to be assumed that there will be a general leavening of foreigners throughout all ranks which should ensure the establishment of a body well adapted to administer a district where by reason of mixed population, and a number of other important factors, all round representation appears to be so eminently desirable. this new agreement is the provision that cases involving foreign nationals shall be handled by the foreign officers of the proposed force, while the appointment of liaison officers between it and the Shanghai Municipal Police should serve to ensure the completest understanding, and consequently the highest efficiency. It is realized that adhere ents of the National Government at Chungking will criticise this new step, on the score that it has not been negotiated with the only recognized Chinese Government. While a certain amount of respect must be paid to this contention the fact is that Shanghai has got to face the situation as it at present exists, and do its utmost to carry on with whatever governments have been established in the surrounding areas. That is the only realistic view of the position which can prove acceptable as being in Shanghai's best interests. This contention is strengthened by the important fact that the modus vivendi contains nothing different from what was agreed upon by the parties to the 1932 agreement, which it must be pointed out was negotiated by representatives of the Chinese Government. It matters little now who was responsible for the fact that that agreement was not implemented: the important point is that it represented the meeting of the minds of the administration of Greater Shanghai at the time, representative of the Government which was then at Nanking, and the Shanghai Municipal Council. There is, therefore, no betrayal of the position so far as Chungking is concerned, but merely an endeavour to set going something in the nature of a solution to a pressing problem along lines already agreed upon by the former administration of Greater Shanghai.
It is necessary, however, to place what has been achieved by the initialling of this new agreement in its proper perspective. Important as it is it is only the first step to what it s hoped will be a final and lasting agreenent. It may prove to have been the most difficult one, for now that general principles have been settled the working out of details as to how they shall be applied should not prove too arduous. It certainly will not if the same amount of goodwill continues to be shown on both sides as has been up to the present. The sooner the scheme is perfected and put into operation, the sooner will that area between Bubbling Well and the railway cease to be the unsavoury Alsatia of criminals, rogues and vagabonds which it is unfortunately at the moment. An efficiently-directed mixed police force, such as is suggested, should be able to make short work of the characters which infest the "badlands" and restore the district to that peace and order which residents in that area have every right to expect. That is the very first benefit which it to be expected from a completion of the arrangements which this modus vivendi makes possible. There are others which must depend upon it. There is the question of the full resumption of the jurisdiction of the Shanghai Municipal Council over the areas of the International Settlement north of Soochow Creek. That is an end which has to be kept in view just as much as the restoration of order in the Western outside roads area. It is realized that the questions involved in this matter present considerably more difficulty than the negotiations concerning the outside roads. The latter have taken a very long time, considering how far the modus vivendi goes towards final settlement of the issue. Yet it is to be hoped that once the problem with which it deals has been completely disposed of, an atmosphere will have been created in which it will be possible to work speedily towards the restoration of the status quo ante August, 1937. It is with this hope in mind that the initialling yesterday of the agreement in principle regarding the outside roads area is to be welcomed. Congratulations are due to the representatives of both bodies on the fact that despite the long delays, because of the various difficulties which the negotiations uncovered, they have been able to arrive at a solution which should do ample justice to the interests of both administrations. It is true there is much more to be solved than merely the problem of policing the outside roads, but the history of the past year or so clearly demonstrates that once the question of the maintenance of law and order has been successfully disposed of, the way should be cleared for an all-round satisfactory solution of the other issues which are at present hanging fire.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.