not the slightest doubt that the assassination of Mr. N. A. Ivanow, chairman of the Russian Emigrants Committee has created very considerable indignation in Shanghai, for he is the second prominent White Russian leader to be murdered in a little over a year. It was on August 2 of last year that Mr. Eh. Metzler, Mr. Ivanow's predecessor as leader of the White Russians, fell tó the assassins' bullets. Apart from the fact that the dastardly crime appears to have been committed by Chinese, little is at present known concerning all the circumstances of the crime and the identity of those behind it. Mr. Ivanow appears to have been warned against accepting the chairmanship of the Russian Emigrants Committee before he succeeded Mr. Metzler, but his courage was great, and the knowledge that he would thus be best able to serve his fellow-countrymen influenced his decision to accept the post. He has paid dearly for his temerity and there will be considerable sympathy with his family in their tragic bereavement.
While fully realizing the difficulties which the authorities have in running down tae perpetrators of such crimes as this, it is to be hoped that no effort will be spared te bring about the apprehension of the guilty men. Not only is it desirable, in the interests of law and order, that they should be punished, but it is imperative that the persons responsible for inspiring such crimes should be brought to book. There are all manner of rumours circulating as to who is behind this latest assassination, but it needs to be remembered that at present there is no proof available and in the meantime it would be best to maintain considerable reserve. But this needs to be said. If any Russian faction is involved in this crime it is most severely to be condemned. It is realized that there is considerable amount of dissent sion among the local Russian community, between the White. Russian and the supporters of the Soviet on the one hand, and amongst the White Russians themselves. on the other.
Unfortunately that has always appeared to be case, and efforts to stop it have in the past proved unavailing. It does not matter what these squabbles are about, the fact is that at such a time as this, when Russia is passing through an ordeal which may decide whether she is ever to exist again as once she did, there should be no division between Russians no matter what their political complexions, Surely in a period like the present all Russians need to be Russians first, and let their pol-tical @ifferences be sunk for the moment in a determination to present a common front against an enemy bent on despoilling the Country of the sources of some of its most important raw materials, and reduce large areas of it to the subjection which Hitler has planned for all countries which he has overrun up to the present. This advice holds good whether a Russian faction is behind this latest crime, er whether it is not, and this journal is not to be taken as making any suggestion one way or the other. An incident such as this should cause all Russians to pause and think whether they are doing their best for their country by continuing their domestic quarrels.
Of the utter futility of these assassinations mention has already been made. Here a man devoting his time to the service of his community, rendering valuable public service, for some reason or other which is not yet plain, has been cut off in his prime. That fact will not prevent another man taking his place. Terrorism rarely succeeds in achieving anything save the propagation of more and more crime, but it certainly does not deter men of conviction from doing that which they think is right. It has not in the past, and will not in the future. But it seems a wise counsel to suggest that whoever follows in Mr. lvanow's footsteps should take precautions to secure adequate protection against further attempts of the same nature. Bodyguards do appear to have some effect in keeping would-be assassins from their victims, and it is suggested that Mr. Ivanow's successor would be wise to see that he is adequately protected. Assassins are cowardly creatures and the knowledge that there is likely to be someone near their proposed prey ready and willing to shoot back may prevent a continuance of these murders.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.