The statement issued by the Municipal Council on the subject of the proposal to hold a lottery for the purpose of raising funds for educational and social services, which are now definite and increasing charges upon the revenue of the International Settlement, dismisses the whole matter in what may be termed the usual off-hand manner. The impression created is that the whole question has been discussed somewhat perfunctorily, and upon the customary assumption that the proposal, being something in the. nature of an innovation, cannot be acceptable. When the suggestion was first made it was argued that the whole question should be thoroughly investigated. This does not appear to have been done, the whole research, judging from the Council's statement having been devoted to discovering reasons why such a scheme could not be adopted. The predominating reason for the rejection is apparently one of principle. Had the Council's statement been left there it might have been wiser, but when it goes on to declare the Council's policy as one prohibiting most forms of public gambling in the International Settlement, it can only be accepted with a very cynical smile. It is fully realized that ordinarily there is a vast difference between public and clandestine gambling, but when the latter is carried on so openly that it is a matter of common. knowledge, that difference seems to disappear, and whether the Council's policy is directed against most forms of public gambling or not, the fact is that there is so much of this sort of thing going on, that invocation of the alleged policy appears more in the light of an excuse for going no further in the enquiry as to the feasibility, rather than a real and overwhelming adherence to principle. The more realistic view of the esthetical consideration which the Council refers to would be that if such large sums of money are changing hands daily in the clandestine-public gambling, the Council would do well to seek to control it, and direct the money into channels where it would do far more good than in the banking accounts of the exploiters of this far flung racket.
Little more need be said upon this particular aspect of the Council's statesmen than that when other cities have adopted the same means of raising money, when the highly successful Australian state lotteries run for years on end, this adoption of an "holier-than-thou" attitude, does, in view of local circumstances, appear in a most singular light. The second point raised by the Council is that upon legal grounds, and particularly because of the legal liabilities of the various members of the Council any such scheme would be impracticable. That, as matters stand, there is some ground for the argument cannot be disputed, but the question does arise, and it needs to be put, as to whether the Council has enquired into the possibility of remedying that state of affairs. Has, for example, any investigation been made as to the possibility of securing some legal relief for members of Council likely otherwise to get into trouble with their respective courts? If it has not, then the whole question has been disposed of in a manner to which Shanghai is becoming far too much accustomed. Again appeal is made to the law of China making the issuance of lottery tickets generally illegal unless prior permission for such a lottery has been obtained from the Chinese Government. Again the question must be asked as to whether any attempt has been made to ascertain the probability of the Chinese Government giving its permission in the light of the praiseworthy objects which such a lottery would serve. If such an inquiry has not been made then the question of the feasibility of such a scheme as has been proposed has not been fully delved into, and the statement of the Council cannot, therefore, be regarded as a informed judgment on the matter, but merely an ex parte declaration and a not particularly convincing one at that. On the face of it it would seem that were such permission granted, the legal position of the foreign councillers, doing something which was then in accord with Chinese law, would be all the easier of modification.
The third point raised by the Council was a financial one. Here two views appeared to prevail They are on the one hand that such a lottery as that proposed would not bring in the financial benefits some people believe; on the other it is held, however little a municipal lottery would augment the Councils income, such increase is badly needed in order to meet the much desired extension of the Council's social services. It would be interesting to know upon what grounds the first conclusion has been reached, what enquiries have been made, and what experts consulted. With the view that there are other means open to the Council to obtain the money required as for example the Voluntary Entertainment Tax, there can be no agreement. That the Voluntary Entertainment Tax has done well is admitted, but if it is thought that other and similar levies might serve to fill the Council's requirements its members should immediately discard it. As the period of inflation through which Shanghai is passing at the moment lengthens, the application of the law of diminishing returns is becoming increasingly apparent. The opinion is strongly held that there is very little- opportunity of raising further funds by voluntary means, and the possibility of any further increase in the rates is to be gravely doubted. It has to be remembered that the Council's educational and social services require millions of dollars annually, not hundreds of thousands, and it may be taken for granted that no voluntary levy is likely to bring in the large sums required, or any very real contribution to them. To sum up, the statement issued by the Council is completely unsatisfactory. Prima facie it appears to be based upon discussion rather than investigation. It would be interesting to know if when arriving at its decision the Council had before them the information which was to be obtained from Australia. It is to be hoped they did, but the period of time between the publication of the suggestion, and the issuance of the Council's statement, suggests that, if they hat, someone has moved rather more rapidly than is usually the case in these matters.
German Glee While the Berlin press showers vilification and abuse upon the British for withdrawing from southern Norway, alleging that the British left the Norwegians in the lurch "retreating like a pack of cowards," the "Giornale d'Italia," which would not in the circumstances be expected. to be particularly complimentary, states that the Allies fought. heroically against the German troops, and the fact that the Allies effected a speedy withdrawal without losses cannot be considered a rout. All the facts which are to hand show that there is no question whatever of leaving the Norwegians in the lurch, that they were informed of what the British, and French, troops were doing, and that in fact one of their commanders actually accompanied the Allied troops on the withdrawal. That should serve once, and for all the discount the lying propaganda of the Germans, whose casualties alone will serve to show whether the Allies fought well, or not. The withdrawal from southern Norway is not a withdrawal from the whole of that country. It has already been announced that they are landing at Mosjoen one hundred miles north of Namsos and there is no question of abandoning Norway to the tender mercies of the German invaders. That the reverse which the Allies have suffered is a serious one nobody for one moment will deny. It is not admitted, however, that it will have very much influence on the final outcome of the war, and in this respect it may prove productive of good results so far as the Allies themselves are concerned. They did not for one moment expect to win every engagement, any more than they did in the last war. Reverses such as this will only serve to strengthen their determination that victory shall be theirs, and all that has happened in Norway will have in Britain and France a psychological effect very different from that which a similar mischance would be expected to have in Germany. All the shouting and raving about the German victory in the German press, is designed for one end alone,—to bolster up the German moral, by giving it those victories without which Herr Hitler and his regime cannot hope to continue permanently in office. The Reich may not be able to celebrate its success with the panem et circenses of olden days, nor will it be able to increase rations for a day or so as a means of celebration. Nevertheless its propaganda organ, and its thoroughly disciplined press can continue to shout plans of praise for the genius of Herr Hitler on the one hand, and vilification gf their enemies on the other. It is good showmanship perhaps, but, whether it will turn out to be any real contribution to ultimate. victory for the Germans, or not, time will, and the Allies hope to prove.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.