Evening star., 1937-09-04

OH HOHdlO LINDSAY, bTltlSn AM
bassador to the United States and one
OF the most familiar figures in the
Capitals diplomatic and social life. was
driving back to Washington from New
York. He was accompanied by his
military attache and another embassy
official, A British flag few at the
front of their automobile.
About Is miles the other side OF
Baltimore two Corinthian planes
sWooped down and machine-gunned
the Ambassa doris car. Sir Ronald
slumped forward in his seat, bleeding
The military attache sprung open the
door, jumped to the ground, as the
car was brought to a stop. He could
see plainly the green star emblem of
Corlnth emblazoned on the planes
wings, see bomb suddenly drop from
one plane. plummet toward the earth
"Voom!"
Dirt geysered. Britains military
attache fell as If dubbed. Regainine
consciousness, he was picked up and
the car sped for Washington and first
aid for the gravely wounded Ambassa-
DOR. At Emergency Hospital it was
found Sir Ronald had been shot sew
eral times, one bullet penetrating his
back. but fortunately not his spinal
cord. An American seaman gave blood
for TRANSMISSION. Three days later,
while the Ambassador still lay near
death in Emergency. Corinthian anti
aircraft guns sprayed the hospital with
shrapnel
And so 1t went, on and on, with
hundreds dying one day and thousands
the next and every man. woman and
child in Washington wondering, What
is to become of us?'
This is exactly what's been hap
pening in Shanghai since the first
week of August Places. sites. loca-
tons, buildings and individuals in
Washington have been made to cor
respond as nearly as possible to places,
things and people in Shanghai.
Boston and New England, in the
foregoing fantasy represent Peipng
and North China The first major ca
tastrophe. the bombing of Pennsyl-
vania avenue" is the accidental bomb
ing of Shanghai's famed Bund, which
occurred at APT pm. August IA. The
Palace and Cathay Hotels are repre-
sented by the Willard and the WASH
ington. Geographically. the locations
are dlssimitar. but other circumstances
are not.
DR.. Gluck, the foreign professor,
represents Prof. ReSchuer OF Prince
ton University. The motor car dealer
and the clergyman represent other
Americans. motor car dealer and a
missionary. who were killed during
that bombardment Five hundred
Chinese were killed in the Great World
Amusement Palace. no amusement
park such as Glen Echo, but like it
popular entertainment center.
The Corinthian Uarship Warrior is
the Japanese warship Idumo, which
has been anchored at the confluence
of the Whangpoo River and Soochow
Greek.
Pennsylvania avenue is Nanklng
road; Fourteenth street, Avenue Ed
ward VII
Hams Point represents the Yantze-
poo district of Shanghai and Potomac
Park. Honkew Park The French con-
cession, to which refugees are flock
ing, is an area of pleasant lawns and
pleasant homes. 1t is represented by
residential Northwest Washington,
Chevy Chase and Bethesda.
THE Red Cross building group. in
the imaginary bombing of Wash
lngton, are the equivalent of Shang-
hai's s8,000.000 Civic Center, likewise
group of white marble edif1ces.
Union Station equals North Station;
the District Jail, much larger prison
in Shanghai. Fort Belvoir and Fort
Washington are supposed to represent,
roughly, Woosung Fort at the con-
f1uence of the Whangpoo and Yangtze
Rivers and Lion Fort.
Sir Willmott Lewis, for the purposes
OF this story, is Hallett Abend of the
New York Times and his colleague is
Anthony Dillingham;. Woodward &
Lothrop is the Wing On department
store. Sir Ronald Lindsay is, of course,
Sir Hughe Knatchbull- -Hugessen. The
road from Washington to New York
over which he was motoring is the
road between Marking and Shanghai.
The distances are about the same
the latter about 30 or 40 miles less.
Shanghai is, OF course not China's
capital. 1t is China's metropolis and
therefore is more like New York. Its
geography is very different from
Washington's and comparisons are
difficult. But. like Washington, it
stands on marshy ground, and there
are other similarities. The mayor,
like the District Commissioners, is a
presidential appointtee. The people
to the South speak Cantonese, the
equivalent of the Southern drawl of
Virginia and the Carolnas, for the
purposes OF this article, while the peo-
Pile to the North speak Mandarin.
Shanghai has three rivers to WASH
ington's two. but the position of Soo-
chow Creek in relation to the Whang-
poo is somewhat like that of the Po-
tomac and Anacostia Rivers.
Readers of the news from China
will observe other circumstances about
the "siege of Washington" which cor
respond to the siege Of Shanghai.
They will observe and perhaps obtain
a better IInderst opdipo ~ u,hot oen,,
pants of another big city are having
to endure.