In View of the departure for Hankow of the first party of Japanese officials and civilians to resume residence in the Japanese Concession which was abandoned last year, the Japanese authorities can no longer logical or reasonably delay the re-opening of the Yangtze to trade by third party nationals. It is reported that the steamer Daishin Maru has left Shanghai With 180 Japanese who will form the pioneer basis of the Japanese mercantile and civilian population of Hankow, and with this area now in complete military occupation it is only natural that more Japanese will return and an attempt made to restore conditions existing before the hostilities. in addition to Consular officiais—a Consul-General having already been appointed—civiliahs include members of business firms and shipping agents, indicating that trade will be resumed and that a state of normality has been treated. In this case, the Wifficulties frequently quóted by the Japanese authorities as obstacles to permitting third party nationals to óperate steamship services and engage ili trading activities are presumed to have disappeared and the re-opening of the Yangtze is an early expectation. During the Japanese drive up the Yangtze, the existence of booms and floating mines were navigation difficulties and the course of military operations naturally made Use of the river highly dangerous, but if the situation has improved so much that Japanese are able to return to Hankow then there is no reason why the same privileges should not be granted to other nationals. There has never been any demand thet third party nationals should receive any better treatment than that octo: to Japanese. As a matter of fact, one of the principal complaints has agaist discrimination, and in other parts of China Where exchange control schemes ahd other measures, described door" is a fact and not a ficti
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.