Perhaps I ought to say just a word or two about Rudolf Hess. because there are a lot of people in Shanghai who think that the British haven't exploited the full propaganda oppor. tunity which his flight to Britain presented. l prefer to trust the judgment and the caution of Mr, Winston Churchill, who has so far made no ful] statement to the House of Commons. He has described the action of Hess as a sign of the "maggot in the Nazi apple—a maggot which will some day reach the surface". Can you doubt that there are other maggots in that over-sized piece of fruit? And in the face of official silence. have we out here the facts on which judgment upon London's All that we know at the moment is that Hess has the status of a prioner of war, that the Nazi regime has suffered such an obvious blow to its prestige that no whipped-up propaganda campaign is needed on that point, and that there is not slightest "hope—or danger-—that itain's grim resolve to fight and smash Nazidom will now or ever be affected by the actions either of escaped victims or the tricks of camouflaged emissaries. Churchill hag the journalist's view on the value of publicity; if he chooses to bide his time, I am confident that he has perfectly good and sound reasons. Hess is a fish in his net; I think Churchill will know how best to market him.
And while the battles continue to rage in the Mediterranean, the Atlantic, and the Air—in the last-named of which we have had a busy and highly successful week—events are moving in the United States which promise to culminate in an epoch-making climax. Stronger grows the demand from all quarters that greater ction be taken to ensure that Britain is left in no danger of a mortal wound and that it be assisted to finish off this war as quickly as possible. Whether the administration's response will be to provide naval convoys for store-laden ships to Britain or a proposal to repeal the Neutrality Aet remains the secret of President Roosevelt, but it is a secret he cannot much longer keep in face of public demand. We have had further strong speeches by leading members of the Administration. the American news-repers coming to hand are full of a les and editorials asking for more positive action, and Mr. Roosevelt who never acts ahead of majority opinion, will have made his much-awaited talk to the nation before another week has passed Britain is regarded as being in the front line of American gefonce—the defence of liberty and freedom and democratic institutions. There is no escape in isolation; there is only à part to play in holding the line and defeating the inman enemy. The playing of that part need never be doubted, Revenve stamp tax, which has hitherto been collected and used by the Yunnan Provincial Government for its own purposes, is now being sent to the national treasury under a special arrangement con-the Ministry of Fin and the Yunnan provincial! authorities. states a report from Kunming to the "Sim Wan Pao," al event.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.