That is an aspect of the matter which does not yet appear to have received the attention it should. The authorities of the French Concession, and the International Settlement, have given every possible indication of their willingness to ce-operate with the Japanese, and have been doing their utmost to meet the desires of the latter. But up to the'present the only ce-operation which has been noticeable has been in the form of criticism, and renewed demands almost incapable oft being met, because of the failure of the Japanese authorities to reciprocate by the! restoration of peace and good order in the districts which are solely under their control. "Obviously if the environs of Shanghai are the hotbed of crime and disorder which they are well known to be, the facility with which bad characters can move in and out of Shanghai must make the task of maintaining order in the foreign areas more than a little diMeult. Refusal to ce-operate in the areas served by the extra-Settlement roads is one of the main reasons why a better state of affairs cannot be brought about, The remedy here is entirely in the hands of the Japanese, and the general situation has to. be viewed in the light of the fact that for] a considerable time past there has been more criticism than ce-operation. It is as well that these things should be said, especially in view of this latest demonstration of the wil lingness of the authorities responsible for the proclamation to do everything which could be reasonably expected of them. They are entitled to expect from the Japanese authori tics whatever assistance is necessary in carrying out the difficult and intricate task with which they are faced. Absence of that assistance suggests that Japanese criticisms! fare something more sinister than mere caprice, and if the opinion is formed that cooperation is not forthcoming because for reasons of their own the Japanese desire to} see the authorities of the French Concession and the International Settlement fail in their endeavours to maintain strict neutrality, nobody need be in the least surprised, Tests! of sincerity can, and should be applied in two directions.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.