Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1937-08-16
War at Shanghai.

Although war has not been formally
declared between Japan and China, war
In It's most cruel form is raging in the
latter country. At Shanghai hostilties
are in progress that taking the native
civilian population and the foreign res
idents and visitors by surprise, have
caused the death of many innocent per-
sons, including several Americans, and
the injury of numerous others Not until
after these casualties had occurred did
the foreign minister at Toxic order the
Japanese Charge dAffaires at Marking,
Chnas capital, to close the Embassy
and leave at an opportune moment"
There is no binding obligation. in
treaties or in other international agree
ments, to require the giving of notice
that war is about to be waged. In any
case belligerents are free under interna-
tional practice to assume the aggressive
without notice. If neutrals of other ma
tons are caught in the zone Of conflict
that is their misfortune. However, there
40 dll uliiuSoIlOIItb lllOI oO4ISatIOAi,
under the unwritten laws of civilization,
that opportunity be given to non-com-
batants to remove from the arena of
conflict
In this present instance the war be-
tween China and Japan-aS yet unde-
clared-began in the North, at Peiping,
In the form of series of skirnishes that
spread to Tientsin and other places in
that section of China. That, perhaps,
could have been regarded as adequate
warning that the warfare might and
probably would spread to other areas
even as far south as Shanghai. Indeed
1t was quite within the probabilities that
Japan would strike at that point, the
scene of a bitter conflict few years ago,
the issues of which were not determined.
1t may be that those foreigners who re-
manned in Shanghai or who went there
subsequent to the subsistence of the
northern outbreak of hostilities have
taken their own risks Certainly there
is no ground for formal action or direct
protest by this Government against the
manner in which this contest between
the two ASiatic nations has endangered
and in some cases caused the death of
its nationals.
Nevertheless the spectacle of the pro-
nscuous bombing from the air of an
area that has been specifically set aside
for the residence and business enterprise
OF foreigners including Americans, with
a gruesome toll of death, is certainly not
calculated to justify consideration of this
present conflict as civilized warfare.
Both sides are blameWorthy. Each sought
an advantage through hasty action.
The peril Of life in the foreign settle
ment at Shanghai was demonstrated in
the earlier conflict between China and
Japan in 1892, located at that city. The
actual arena of the fighting was in
Chapel, which lies north of the interna-
tlonal settlement, a distinctly and ex-
clusively Chinese section. Care was
then taken to cause the least possible
danger to the foreign residents, living a
very short distance away Those for
elgners who remained throughout the
contest did so at their own risk, having
had opportunity to depart. Now the case
is different. The attacks from the air
and the counter attacks from warships
have dlsregarded the sanctity of the
settement-if that word can possibly
be applied to such space in such a
land-and lamentable loss of life has
been taken. Eventually this anomaly
must be settled, whether penalties for
these sacrifices are imposed in this pres
ent case or not