London, Nov, 2 Sir Francis Lindley, former British. Ambassador to Japan, in a letter to. "The Times" today takes up a recent statement made by "The Times'" special correspondent lately in China that "the Japanese have made destitute and homeless some 30,000,000 Chinese."
Sir Francis Lindley asks whether ihe correspondent includes in this figure the victims of the Chinese policy of the "scorched earth."
He says that if the correspondent. does not, it would be interesting to know. how he arrives at this vast figure, but if he does include them, his protest should be directed against ihe Chinese Government, "whose insane and inhuman policy has caused infinitely more suffering and damage to China than have the Japanese."
"After all," declares the former Ambassador, "no one blames Napoleon for the destruction of Moscow by the Russians."
"The Times," in the course of a leader today, comments on Sir Francis Lindley's letter and observes that a proportion of the destitute and% homeless Chinese are undo victims of the "scorched earth policy, to which their Government periodically resorted on a spectacular scale.
"Whether history will agree with Sir Francis Lindley that this poli is insane,' it is still too early to say, declares "The Times," "but at least it is obvious that the policy would never have been adopted if Japan had not invaded China."—Reuter.
LowboN Meats AND N.Y.
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