Those Outrages:
How to Assist Japanese To the Editor of the "Nonrt-Cuuna Datuy News"
Sm—The position of the Japanese endeavouring to investigate certain Feports will be appreciated when they fre unable to obtain the details re-Quired, as mentioned in your issue Sesterday. On the other hand, it is nile understandable "that. persons fiving Information ina. public spirit Resitant. to. get" themselves. in-Yolved in what they might fear to be Viewed as" charges' which they are MHDS gealtying to see that there This grallfying to see that there is a desire on the part of the Japanese investigate, no doubt with the In-{ention of taking such measures a5 Will prevent repetition, "Your report states: "The Japanese regretted the impossibility of investl-{ating the allegation and felt that the Publication of such a letter by a responsible. newspaper" was' extremely Fogrettabley" and. "Te was further Stated. that numerous allegations. had 'Deen made from time to time against the Japanese forces, but that investltators usually came upon a, wall of Seereey.7" Obviously' the diter of a newspaper cannot. institute in-Yestigations before publication and ust rely upon the good faith of the contributor who" can hardly. be thought to. have fabricated. the con tents of hia letter.
Tt would "appear that an effort should be made to arrive at 2 means of dealing with. cases which "arise hich is convenient and fair' to all parties and. will bring immediate re-Tiet to there in distress. "Prompt and practical action would be far preters ble to a belated. report when It Is too late to do anything.
tis apparent that' the Japanese would' welcome. the opportunity of investigation, but at. pre-does not appear to be any which. the help. of the higher "authorities can be! blained and they only earn of it report. appearing when it is for them to act. The press for events which have passed.
needed seems to be a lialson department through which rer could be communicated immed ju order that prompt action may be taken. At present' no, one knows what to do, and they do nothing at the time ana write to the newspaper afterwards as the only means of expression, Tt the public could be informed where to telephone, they would co-'Operate, and it would be much more! satisfactory to the Japanese to know fat the time what was happening. The Liaison OMe would soon know how to sift out the more important and Pressing calls, Tt is, of course, realized that a number of calls of lesser importance would the made, The Fire Brigade gels a number of false alarms put it does not wait for a report that, there was a fire yesterday, depending for its effectiveness on the report that there Is a fire now.
"in. fairness. to the Japanese they should be given an opportunity to act promptly.
Shanghai, Apr, 27.
'A Ghostly Story:
Experience of a Child 1e Editor of the '"Nonri-Cuwa Dany News"
Sim—I saw a ghost wife Twas: eight. I am beginning to think that T ought to have communicated with the Society for Psychical Research. But thio question occurs to me: if T were to write now, after the lapse of more years than I care to publish, would the Society regard it still as the evidence of a child or as that of: the responsible person that I now am? Perhaps some reader can help me before I waste money on postage.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.