a policeman kicked a Chinese pedlar, who died. He was a Portuguese and is now on trial, but the incident gave the Chinese papers an excuse for letting off steam. (There have been a number of such incidents this year, from the proposal to build that huge aerodrome, wherein we climbed down ungraciously because of the feeling roused ... up till now)".
Further on my brother remarks that he finds our attitude most difficult to explain to his Chinese friends. He continues
"Post-war China is different from Boxer China, different from 1936 China: and that we must realise soon. It is a peace-loving China and a democratic China, and it passionately desires to be treated by the other nations as a real equal and partner. There are very many Chinese who find themselves more akin to the British than to the American in their general outlook: but Hong Kong and Kowloon are making the very worst of impressions. Whatever we may think, American big-business imperialism does not openly flout the susceptibilities of the Chinese like this. What we seem to be doing is really crass foolishness, from the point of view of our own interests ... not to speak of the principles involved."'
Little comment of my own is needed. It seems so utterly unfair that an ally who has fought and suffered so greatly should be treated so spuriously. The blow to our prestige, if affairs are not righted soon, will be difficult indeed to eface.
I beg that you will do all in your power to get some definite statement from those responsible for our foreign policy, and that they will give their statement as much publicity as possible.
Surely if we cannot carry out the spirit of the
Atlantic
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