Evening star., 1937-09-12

now raging on the banks of
the Whangpoo and the Yangtse
L again put the American and
European residents in Shanghai in
quandary. They do not want the
Japanese to win. Yet they are re-
luctant to see the Chinese emerge
victorious. A Chinese victory might
spell the doom of the foreign settle
ment. A japanese victory would
give it a new lease of life and might
even help realize their long cherished
desire for an enlargement of the
overcrowded settlement. But then
that would enormously enhance jap
anese prestige and influence, a con-
dition which they would not welcome.
Faced with the dilemma, they see
themselve between the devil and the
deep sea.
Unquestionably the sylnpathies of
the Occidentals in Shanghai are over
whelmingly for the Chinese. They
see Japanese shells and bombs snuff
ing out thousands Of Chinese lives
and destroying Chinese properties
worth hundreds Of millions of dollars.
They think the Japanese ruthless
and brutal. To them China is big
but flabby under dog pounced upon
by little but ferocious top dog.
And yet they fear the consequences
Of the under dog getting on top.
What would become of the Inter-
national Settlement (including the
French concession), that pearl of the
ization in the heart of Oriental
medievalism, should China win any,
thing like a smashing victory? The
foreign residents have little love to
lose for Japan. yet in their heart of
hearts they fear that her crushing
defeat at China's hands would prove
the knell tolling their own eventual
DOOM Would not the Chinese, puffed
up with the pardonable sense of
power gained from such q victory,
rush the International Settlement and
put an end to that alien city, the
fruit of almost century's labor on
the part of Europeans and Ameri-
cans?
Attack on Settlement.
To the, foreign residents in Shang-
hal this question Is not hypothetical.
AS recently as 1927 the Nationalists,
having launched government with
the help Of Soviet Rusia's agents,
Messrs. Borodin and Galen (the last
OF whom later emerged as Gen.
Bluecher, commander in chief of the
Red army in Eastern Siberia), made
y serious attempt to seize the foreign
controlled area of Shanghai The
British, hoping to placate the Ma
tionalists, had surrendered their con-
cessions at Hankow, Kiukiang and
Chinkiang, all on the Yangtse River,
but this conciliatory policy had mere
ly served to fan the zeal Of the vic
torious Chinese. In Marking the
Nationalist looted the American, Brit
ish, Japanese and other consulates,
assaulted foreign women, murdered
number of Europeans and Ameri-
cans. Their next objective was the
rich foreign settlement in Shanghai.
This writer was in Shanghai at that
critical time and saw with his own
eyes the barbed-wire entanglements
and sand-bag piles barricading all
the strategic points around the In
ternational Settlement and the French
concession against what seemed to
be an imminent push" by the Ma
tionalist forces. BY that time, how
ever, the British, French, Japanese
and American forces had been greatly
augmented Together they said to
the onrushing Chinese: Thus far,
no farther!" The mandate was
obeyed, the Chinese dared not break
through the barricades. Until the
Nationalist troops retreated the
Shanghai residents, both foreign and
Chinese, had gone through days and
nights of indescribable anguish. AS
the Anglo-American edited China
Year Book" tells US:
Many Chinese left Shanghai for
their native villages, which they re-
garded as safer. The foreigners we're
nervous, tense, irritable A fear psy-
chology possessed us. We were all to
be murdered by our own servants
And the truth was that the first
real warnings came from our boys
coolies and amahs, who kept repeat
ing: Plenty trouble, more better go
Japan side"
Chinese Had Grievance.
In fairness be it admitted that
the Chinese had a real grievance
against the International Settlement.
The time was not far back when
Chinese and dogs" were not ad-
mitted to the settlements public
parks, for whose creation and MAIN
tenance the Chinese paid more in
taxes than the foreigners. Up to
1927 the Municipal Council, which
administered the settlement, consist
ed Of nine members, none of whom
was Chinese. In consisted of five
British, two Americans and two JAP