Evening star., 1937-09-08
Americans i'm China.

Americans IN .hIna.
II is indeed deplora BILE situation in
China for the nationals of neutral conn-
tries in This present condition of war
that is not vet interna tionallv recoe-
nized officially as war. They have
been caught in the melee and are ex-
posed TO death. as we'll as 10 the de-
struction of their business investments
and enterprises. The trouble arose sud-
denly, with little warning. Often before
there has been turmoil in that part of
the world and usually it has passed with
out leading TO such peril for the foreign
ers. This time il has continued and
there are still within the danger zone
many Americans. as well as the nationals
OF other countries, whose evacuation
from the perlous area has been made
difficult, almost impossible by the fact
that the fighting is taking place at the
very port from which they might esca pc.
Lack of transport facilities has impeded
their rescue from this peril. Naval yes
sells have been employed. and have sue
ceeded to some extent in relieving The
situation.
On Sunday President Roosevelt. in an
informal public statement, said that sll
OF the nearly eight thousand Americans
IN Chlna-not specifically the Shanghai
area-have been strongly urged to get
out and that any who remain after that
warning do so at their own risk. Manv
OF them, he added. are refusing 10 leave
The immediate inference was that these
persons could not expect the United
States to use its armed forces in their
behalf after ignoring the warning that
they were in danger.
rms statement by the President it is
now reported, has aroused the indiena
non OF Americans in Shanghai. The
American Chamber of Commerce there
has wired to Secretary Hull an express
sion OF the strong depreciation of anv
ofhclsl statement which could be in
terpreted in China as indicating with
n
business interests in China. as Ameri-
can prestige is seriously injured therebv."
What can possibly be done to meet
such situation? The United States
has not officially recognized that state
OF war exists. Neither side in The con
hict has declared war. The usual of
hclal relations are maintained Yet there
is peril, acute and immediate. for sll the
foreign nationals in that unhappy land
The situation is somewhat like that Of
1900, when the Boxers besieged the FOREIGN
iegauons at Peiping, then Peking. But il
is decidedly different in that there is no
united foreign force TO intervene. Nor
can one be formed, such is the complex
Of International rela tions.
Joint action by all the other powers is
out OF the question. Open and secret
alliances between each OF the TWO present
belligerents and other countries nrevent
any such Intervention. The United
States Is in no position to intervene
alone. Nor would the dispatch of a
naval force TO the scene to compel the
evacuation of Americans who have been
caught in the war area be effeciual.
without preponderance of International
cooperation which at the present stage
OF the situation is not at all likely to
develop.
American prestige in China-possiblv
10 the Far East genera lly-may perhaps
be lessened in consequence of this
dilemma for which no solution can be
found. That is loss that must be s,If-
fered with such philosophy ss can be
mustered. Recriminations on the part
OF those who have been caught in this
terrible situation will not avail nor will
they bring relief The PRAYER is thai
Their fears are groundless. however grave
may be their present peril. 10 business
interests and to life itself.