Jan, 24.
If the consideration of municipal matters in Shanghai is to be accompanied by the use of lethal weapons a more disgraceful state of affairs it would be dimMcult to imagine, The attack upon Mr. W. J. Keswick, Chair man of the Municipal Council, at the special meeting of ratepayers held at the Race Course yesterday afternoon cannot but be most roundly condemned. The fact that the man who fired the shots went to the meeting armed is in itself a most disquieting factor, indicating that the whole crime was pre~ meditated, for why otherwise would it have been necessary to carry the weapon? Let it be said at once: this most deplorable incident clearly demonstrates a degree of irresponsibility on the part of whoever is guilty of the shooting which wholly unfits the perpetrator of this outrage and those who think like him for participation in the discussion of municipal affairs, for it betrays a degree of political immaturity which is unthinkable in this day and age. Is it to be believed for one moment that such outrageous behaviour on the part of someone piqued as a Fesult of the voting at yesterday's meeting, when the "amendment to the Council's resolution, proposed by the Japanese, was defeated, is likely to deter ordinary law abiding ratepayers from carrying out their duties? People, who think that it may, completely fail' to understand the implica tions of manhood, It speaks well for those present at the meeting, and especially those responsible for allaying the excitement amongst the Japanese, that the incident did not lead to something in the nature of a general brawl, That this was averted is the only pleasing feature of what cannot but be regarded as a most disgraceful affair. In the International Settle ment of Shanghai feelings have at times run high between various sections of this very cosmopolitan community, but it is a matter of history that tempers have "always been kept, and disputes generally settled in an amicable spirit. It will be a matter for the greatest possible regret if such a happy state of affairs is not to continue. At same time it is to be devoutly hoped tempers. Indignation at the murder of Mr. Keswick will undoubt
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.