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residents in 1932, under conditions quite similar, the efforts of which they were capable. It was thought that at the best the Chinese government would be compelled to sue for terms within three or four months: nor did the foreign residents of Shanghai appear to feel much concern at the prospect of such an issue; the years of pin-pricking told. Despite the precedents recently set in Manchuria, where the Japanese had driven out foreign enterprise, there were many who really believed that the Japanese would “clean up the Chinese mess”, as they called it, and usher in a beautiful era when all obstructions would be removed to a profitable trade untrammelled by notions about "unequal treatment".
On my return I found Nanking settling down to war. Most of the foreign ladies had left by steamer for ports upriver, the International Club band was dispersed, the cinemas were closed, the leak in our swimming pool got worse, coupons were required for petrol, and the irreplenishable stock of liquid refreshment at the Bungalow Club diminished at an alarming rate.
There were particularly heavy air raids on the 19th and 20th of September, and so it was with some astonishment on the evening of the 20th that we heard over the wireless Admiral Hasegawa's warning to foreign residents of Nanking to move out because,
"the Japanese Naval Air Force may after noon on September 21st have to resort to such offensive measures as bombing and otherwise upon the Chinese forces, as well as all the establishments pertaining to their military operations and otherwise around Nanking."
He spoke after a month of bombing as though the bombing had not yet commenced. Japan waved the big stick with singular effect. During the night of the 20th there was a frenzy of packing and on the morning of the 21st the remaining foreign ladies left by steamer, and several offices closed down and transferred themselves to Wuhu. The men who were staying behind made arrangements to "cruise" for the day. The various embassy staffs boarded their respective gunboats; and many civilians hoarded the S.S. "Whangpoo" which promptly at 11 a.m. took the Butterfield hulk in tow and steamed away, while our small party had the use of a launch on which we crossed over to the far side of the Yangtze to anchor a couple of