Show washington news by FRED HOLMES washington correspondent ol of the bark record washington D C february eth BANGI BANG no dear that the busting of an inflated paper bag designed to startle little children it was a salvo ot of artillery from halfway half way around the earth to speed on their way the representatives ot of about sixty nations who are now assembled at geneva to find a better way ot of settling international disputes than by sacrificing the worlds young manhood when samoa gets into a mix up with slam tired business men ot of the western hemisphere as a lule iule do not sit up all night for the morning papers to inform on the progress ot of the scrap to hell bell with both ot of them Is the consensus ot of opinion it if those countries want to depopulate each other let era em go to it samoa and slam japan and china what difference does it make well it makes this difference civilized communities aties in both america and europe have extensive interests in the orient interests acquired under a guarantee ot of protection lection tec tion civilized communities in both america a and europe have granted passports to thousands under assurances that their residence in the backwoods ot of the world was acceptable and ana sate safe j that Is hv the shanghai jamboree which ordinarily dina rily would be ot of little interest on pacific mates makes us sit alt up of the this side bide notice whether eaber japan or and take uria china con controls trois manan manchuria Is a question in which causes no sleepless nights america but what happens to american residing in the international ci citizens tizer legitimately and settlement ot of shanghai I 1 ter e acquired to american property legally therein Is ol of some borne concern 0 0 china may have spit in japans face and japan may I 1 have given china a slap ship in retaliation that does n not ot interest us in china are aggressions but japans which endangers creating a situation tho the safety of american life and property the fighting at Shan shanghai may result nt at any moment in the destruction of american life detachments of small for many years marines have been maintained by foreign governments to protect the international settlement ex at shanghai circumstances virtually compel these governments to act i in concert when the international settlement Is threatened the united states shuns military alliances and its experience in the world we war r as an associate of the allies has intensified the reluctance c e of the american people to bee become ome associated socia ted with other nations in any ente enterprise r whatever the emergency measures that are being taken by the united states and great britain and in which other nations will as they did in probably iro bably participate shanghai 1 in 1927 are by no means to be misconstrued as war measures and there that this count rys is s no reason to assume forces will be called upon to take any part art in the orgy of violence that has been going on in shanghai I 1 americas concern like that of the british Is twofold the first and most urgent task of the united states government a and 11 d of such forces I 1 as in it can eule in co concentrate n cen at shanghai Is to insure t the h safety of more than americans resident there and of their property which the incomprehensible tactics of the japanese under admiral ozawa have put in grave peril such action will or should involve restoring the absolute neutrality of the international settlement A second objective may be that of policing a neutral zone between the japanese and chinese la in chinese territory pending some kind of a sino japanese adjustment the most charitable theory of what happened at shanghai Is that the japanese military command blundered sadly the intention could not have been from the first to bomb a civil population in an unfortified city and to leave burning houses bouses and slaughtered ria natives tives as a kind of testimony to what the chinese will call a burst of japanese savagery the misfortune or misery of it all Is that these things were not done with the excuse of the necessary cruel ties of war but under the pretense of a peaceful and even friendly assertion of japans rights I 1 it must be said that outside of the international settlement lie districts which are preponderantly chinese but in which many foreigners reside among these foreigners the majority are japanese lawless elements among the chinese have for some time been creating anti japanese disorders in these districts tsi more recently considerable number of chinese soldiers appeared in the neighborhood bo the lives and property of japanese residents were undoubtedly threatened by these anti japanese activities so it Is alleged when japanese marines were landed at shanghai they did not confine their operations to the international ter settlement they crossed into what Is chinese territory and proceeded ruthlessly and relentlessly to clear out the he chinese soldiers and any elements which attempted resistance their justification fi was protection ot of their nationals their object was said to be to restore and maintain order however altruistic japan may claim were her motives la in the result whether intended or not the japanese have ave undoubtedly alienated many neutral supporters and sympathizers there will doubtless be official expressions of re great and renewed assurances of the resolve of japan to comply with her treaty obligations but all these things will necessarily 1 essa rily be obscured by the smoke arising from the bombed sections of the native city of shanghai the best friends of japan must sorrowfully record the serious injury which she has done t to 0 her own wn reputation |