'The four years from the extension in 1997 into Shanghai and the Settle ment itself of national policies anc their expression in the violent form of war, have' witnessed a. challenge to those fundamental. traditions of {international ce-operation by which the welfare and' progress of tha Settlement have been sustained. The European war has intensified the clash fof those national policies and height-fened that challenge.
If there is one lesson {o be derived from this recount, it is that the pro-{ection into the geographical area of 'Shanghai of the play of nationalistic fand sovereign forces must spell a {further long period in which peace this city' will be absent and dis-Jorder and anarchy will continue rife, For, pending a settlement imposed by force of arms, there is little hope of reconciliation of the divergent policies of America and" Britain. Japan, and China.
this extremity, excluding miracle, it is only a matter of time ere there will be 0. immunity of [any part of Shanghai from the total [ergultient of war. If there is*no "hope that the feared total engulfment of war can be stayed. shall we nevertheless fall to postpone the evil day long as we can—perchance that a irade may prevail? At least thera is one thing that we citizens of Shanghai can do, and that is to ensure that we are not guilty of Shanghat itself being the cause of bringing total: war to the Far East. If total war is to come, let it come uninvited.|by the aims, acts or public policies lof our respective national communities. The only hope. barring a mir ele, is to play for time, and one policy alone' offers any hope, That policy is the deliberate. and lective effort on the part of the leadfers of every national section of this international community to exclude {the "extension into. the municipal affairs of this geographical area of the! policies of their home governments, twill work, of course, only if each and every national section ce-operates actively in furtherance of this policy. 'A mere passive acquiescence In the policy ig useless. Moreover, active leadership of the communities to the Gesired end is imperative. Miraculous almost as it has been, the inter rity. of Seltlement regime remains as yet fundamentally unimpaired, Despite all pressures and impediments {0 full Municipal control in the certain. areas of the Settlement. and notwith= standing all appearances, the vital fact remains that the war has been Kept out of our camp,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.