A report which has been cabled from Shanghai to the Japanese press that the French Conleession would shortly be transferred to the 'United States hardly' called for the emphatic denials given to it by American and French officials here on Thursday. It nevertheless seems to have been taken seriously by the Tokyo ress, who report that the Government of Japan Bravely concerned over the prospect. That this 1s not the case can be confidently believed; the Japanese Government have shown a lively sense of the realities of the Shanghai situation, and are net ikely to be deceived by such story, which seems to be the work of some inadoquately endowed reporter going off at half-cock. It is no secret that the French authorities have been preparing measures to keep. th police force of their concession up to its sent high standard of oMeieney through local of the army. on inroads into their Permanent personnel. The report. would. seem to indicate that certain extremists are trying to follow clumsily the technique of Hier, creating imaginary dangers to. rights whi have never previously existed. The French Cor cession in Shanghai was granted by the Chine Government to the French people in part turn for work done in routing the Taiping rebels who were holding the then native city. Tt is extremely improbable that any' Frenc! would consider for a second the idea of Ing over such a concession to a third Power. IN should also be realized that the United States has from the first set its face against owning concessions in China, There is still a largo section of public opinion in America resolutely opposed to embroilment of the United States in Far tent of advocating an. immediate withdrawal from the Philippine Islands. What chance, therefore, would any administration In Washington have to win the support of the country for any. move s0 complicated as to take over control of foreign concession without the consent of the Government which made the concession?' The whole idea is too absurd to be argued further,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.