une The debate in the House of Lords on Great Britain's foreign policy paid considerable luttention to the situation of British subjects in China, and though much of the official comfort which Lord Halifax had to administer was of a decidedly icy temperature, some consolation is to be found in the fact that there is no intention of Great Britain receding from the position sh already taken up. Britons in the Far East are assured that the Government will devote all its efforts, to the protection of British rights and trade here, will recognize no unilateral changes in treaties freely entered into by Great Britain and other nations; rumours concerning the alleged proposal to withdraw another ion from Shanghai were denied, while the list of assurances wound up with one that Britain would not accept Japan's excuse of military necessity to justify actions detrimental to British rights, especially in places military operations have ceased. One significant passage in Lord Halifax's speech was the reference to the "very. formidable Jist" of incidents os reflecting the extent of the British stake in China. It not only does that. "It reflects with very "considerable plenitude of detail' the manner in. which British interests are being attacked by the Japanese in their often-declared determina tion to drive the British and all other foreign interests out of China. The Foreign Secretary then proceeded €0 deal with the fears of Lord Elibank that Japan was planning to seize the International Settlement of Shanghai duly 7 to mark the second anniversary of the commencement of the Sino-Japanese hostilities, and assured the noble lord. that the Government had "not been. indifferent any one of these threats in anyone of these directions." This is all very nine and would be much more satisfactory. were there Indications thatthe Government actually contemplated action in certain events beyond the mere. registration of protests and" the aceumblation of further additions to the long Hist of incidents.
A review of all that has happened during the past twenty-three months does nothi to remove the impression that Great Britain in common with all the other Powers interested in China, have failed to take that Positive action, which is better understood by the Japanese than all the formal representations in the world. The enormous [patience which has been displayed,—enormous even when European difficulties are taken into account—has created amongst the Japanese an idea of weakness which it will bbe very hard indeed to dispel. It is in these continual endeavours on the part of Japan to see how far she can go without inviting some sort of retaliatory action, that a continual whittling away of British rights, and other foreign rights as well, it must be fremembered,—is in process. What by. the time these jines appear in print will prove to be the downright denial of British rights in Tientsin may have been set afoot. The question arises:—What is Great Britain going to do about it? The organization of a boycott of Japanese goods in Britain in connection with the China Campaign week is all very well, but it is neither an officially-inspired move, nor one that is likely to be at all elective in bringing home to the Japanese the intense British indignation over what is happening, and the determination of the British Government that in the ultimate event there will have to be a reckoning. 'That appears to have escaped the notice of the Japanese Government and its officials, or, if it has not, it is treated with that degree of contempt' which permits spokesmen describe the damaging of the American-owned Szechuen University as due to a bomb which had "gone astray." Parenthetically this Intest excuse seems reminiscent of one of those old melodramas "The Girl who took the Wrong Turning." If Japanese officials think they can fob off representations con-corning Japanese wrongdoings by such puerilities, it is obvious that the time is rapidly approaching when they should be taught very much to the contrary.
For approximately two years the Britisi: Government has accepted, has had, perforce, Because of preoccupations elsewhere, accept such offhand explanations. It cannot, if it wishes fo preserve much of its already impaired dignity in the Far East, accept any. such explanations if indeed the British Concession in Tientsin is molested in the way it is believed likely. It has been pointed. out time and time again that there lies in the hands of Great Britain means of retaliation which can be used effectively in order 10 bring about a change in the Japanese heart. 'There may be some reluctance against using them for fear of further worsening relations: Between the two countries, but owing to the actions of Japan alone, it' is contended that the situation is now so bad that a little more worsening cannot materially affect conditions. It is not suggested for one moment that Great Britain should resort to arms. to vindicate her position in the Far East. There are other equally effective methods of dealing with the subject, not the least interesting of which is that, which was suggested recently, certain of the Empire ports chauid be denied to Japanese shipping. The gesture of closing Singapore and Penang to Japanese shipping would in all probability have just that moral effect which would render the Japanese less} eager 10 invite further rep ince of their present disabilities, along the lines adopted by Pi dent Roosevelt with regard to imports into the United States, another means of showing the Japanese Government that there are teeth behind the many representations which have been made to Tokyo on the subject of Japanese hi; wd to foreign interests in Eh weapon, which would strike ade: blow, reducing Japan's opportunity. of ming. even that small proportion of fo ign exchange which she can still secure, and wid be an economic blow to the country which would have behind it all the emphasis desirable in stich a time as this, These do. not exhaust the possibilities of bringing about sufficient pressure upon Japan to ensure that British rights shall be respected, but until something of the nature is done expected that the Japanese upon to behave themselves.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.