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THE CHINA MAIL, NOVEMBER 29, 1938.
The China Mail
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Hong Kong, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 1938.
THE REFUGEE PROBLEM
The refugee problem has now assumed the proportions of our worst fears, and as dis- closed by His Excellency the Governor's personal appeal for generous delvings into private -pockets, although no more than 16,000 are at present under the direct control of the Refugee Emergency Council, there are scores of thousands more, at present fending for themselves or receiving the hospitality of friendly villagers, who are cer- tain to be thrown on the mercy of charity before many weeks, perhaps days, are past. In the sense that the Colony is
A
benevolence of those leading Chinese whose names always appear in lists of benefactions for almost every good cause, in not to be questioned on this occasion—some have, indeed, excelled in generosity-the ap peal for destitute refugees has not reached far among the great remainder. The succouring of Chinese from neighbouring Kwangtung not content to take their chance amidst Japanese 'pacification' tactics is not perhaps primari- ly a Chinese duty. But a sign, that the Chinese community as a whole was taking a deeper interest in the fate of their own countrymen would, we be- lieve, evoke new responses elsewhere.
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The Lateralists
It may be largely a matter of personal taste (for, after all, the only thing that really counts in writing or speaking is to make yourself clearly un- derstood), but some of us are beginning to wish that there could be a compulsory close season for "unilateral" and its allied formations. Strictly speaking, a unilateral agree- ment is one that is binding on only one party, which would make it an instrument very much to the liking of any dic tator. But in what respect does it differ from what the plain man might call a one-sid- ed arrangement-such an ar- rangement, let us say, “as "non-intervention" or the work- ing out of the Munich Agree- ment wherein Germany does all the taking and Czecho-Slo- vakia all the giving? So why this love of "laterals" and ap- parent suspicion of “sides"? But the lateralists now win all
a
already heavily overcrowded, its resources heavily taxed by other responsibilities arising from Japanese activities, Hong Kong will not greet this heavy new influx in any spirit of en- thusiastic welcome. Humane feeling will prevail over “all other considerations, however, and we must accept the fact that the care of these scores of thousands of destitutes is likely to be the Colony's con- stant responsibility for some considerable time to come. We have heard enough direct evidence of the summary methods of the Japanese in the field in dealing with civilians that cross their path to sym- pathise with the mass effort to find sanctuary, and without very definite guarantees of their safety, in every way, from molestation, none would counsel any encouragement to Art at the Poll efforts to return the refugees to Japanese controlled terri- tory. Japan's refusal, by the method of failure to reply to British requests, to establish safety zones on the Chinese side of the border, appears to have political explanation, and, in the circumstances, there is nothing left for this Colony but to accept the situation and meet it as efficiently as is possible when order is restored out of the existing confusion. Mean- time, thousands need feeding and protection against the bit- ter night winds of the New Territories valleys, and it has become. moral charge. thrust upon the whole com- munity, not to be treated as solely a matte for Government. I not with- been remark out some truth, that while the
along the ling; any day we might expect to find that Four- Power Pact reappearing as quadrilateral agreement, or, if Russia should, after all, man- age to "creep and intrude and climb into the fold," as a quin- quelateral disposition. The in- finity end of the scale is al- ready staked out, for in a re- cent leading article, there was a reference to "the time, which has certainly not come yet, when an effective
Multilateral agreement can be made to check the growth of arma- ments everywhere." But what on earth is wrong with a gen- eral agreement towards the same admirable end? "Multila- teral" is there just a piece of pompous jargon.
A speaker at the opening of the recent Hair and Beauty Fair in London remarked that hair- dressing was a great art. It may be debated whether this is strictly correct; for some would hold that one essential of great art is that it should stand the test of time, and even a permanent wave" has its limitations. The legacy of the artist has never had much chance of reaching posterity since the last hair presumptive -removed, and, wigs went out of fashion. Nevertheless, if it be not a great art, hair- dressing is at any rate a great Industry, as the Fair showed; and no doubt the barber will not repine so long as he can at least pluck- up förtune by the locks
WAS
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