To the Editor of the "NonrH-Curwa Dalny News" which is sold in the French Concession. A friend of mine, member of the French Public Health Department, to whom I spoke about Quo Venisis "experience," was not i since there is not a single statement in the above letter which Sm,—In November, 1918, after Winning the war Marshal Foch insisted on keeping in the Allies' -hands the left bank of the Rhine and the three bridge-heads of Cologne, Mayence and Coblenz. The line of the Rhine, said he, is a formidable barrier, very easy to defend even with a relatively small army, and with the bridge-heads in Allied Germany would keep quiet and would not trouble the peace of Europe as she did so many times during the last 150 years.
Jnhappily, Lloyd George, and even Clemenceau, then French Premier, did not agree with the Generalissimo. The greatest objection to Foch's proposal was that the left bank of the Rhine was German land and was inhabited by Germans.
The way Hitler acted lately with the Jews, the Poles, and even the Germans in Italy end in the Baltic States gave me the idea that it would be possible to realize—Foch's proposal in Hitlers manner, but of course without making it.as hard for the Germans as Hitler made it for the Jews, for instance, In the midst of the German people there are people who are noi German. Because they are not numerous enough, and because they are surrounded by Germans, they have never been and never will be free for a very long time.
The solution would be to remove the Czechs into the Rhineland and into the Ruhr basin and the Rhenans into Bohemia and Moravia. The Rhineland would also be a good place in which to settle the Jews whom Hitler wants to get rid of.
As an area, the Rhineland, the Ruhr basin, and the bridge-heads are certainly not larger than Bohemia and Moravia, The Ruhr and the Saar would replace the industrial regions of Czechoslovakia.
'All the Germans, except the Jews and a maximum of 5 per cent, of the' others, would be compelled to leave the Rhineland and to relinquish all their real estate—lands, houses, workshops and machinery—and would be indemnified by the German Government with the properties left in Czechoslovakia by the Czechs, The inhabitants of Czechoslovakia can be substantiated. It seems to me that Quo Vapis has exaggerated and is reprehensible in patronizing "neighbouring shops" kept by unscrupulous merchants. I am told that in his capacity of resident he has neglected to telephone or inform in some way the Health Department thus shielding the culprits.
The municipal employee mentioned above made it clear that a public service is unable to do everything and be everywhere at the same moment (riy information from residents is always appreciated by the Public Health Department, I am told, and from explanation kindly given ie me, I am satisüed to know that food shops and markets are inspected when residents, without excepting Quo Vanrs, are still in bed.
"To buy horse cutlets believing them to be veal cutlets is indeed a sign of extreme foolishness, but since when, may 1 ask, is horse meat sold in the French (Concession? It must be very exceptional.
ALTER Eco.
Shanghai, Feb. 19.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.