If the figures quoted by Colonel Hirota, the Officer in charge of the blockade of the Tientsin British Conzession, are correct the Chinese population of the Concession are standing firmly with the British residents in "seeing it through." At the beginning of the blockade special measures were taken to bring pressure to bear on the Chinese population to evacuate the Concession and add to difficulties confronting the community and the administration, but Col. Hirota says that the decrease in the Chinese population, up to July 11 was 3,000. This figure he bases on the difference in the count of Chinese passing the barrier, 148,000 having passed out and 145,000 entering during that period. If this is the only evidence to be quoted to prove the "ce-operation" of the Chinese with the Japanese authorities in their action against the British Concession it is highly complimentary of the relations between the Chinese and British communities anda tribute io the good sense and loyalty of the Chinese who refused to be coerced by the Japanese. A record such as this—less than one per cent. decline—is something which cannot be said of many other areas in China under Japanese military control, Hongkew being a good èx-ample. It means that whatever are the political difficulties governing residence in China at present following the application of restrictive measures, the few foreign areas left are still symbols of security and as such command
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.