Meanwhile Chang Kai-shek,. the Cantonese General, is occupying Hankow. Evidently
thinking that his original adversary, Wu Pei-fu's Army, is small game he has launched an additional campaign against Sun Chuan- fang, the Shanghai Tuchun. At various places on the Yangtze the Chinese have been firing indiscriminately on foreign ships, and two of the crew of an American ship of war have been wounded. What' are we to say of all this confusion ? Protests to the Central Government at Peking are a mere form for the writ of that Govern. ment does not run outside the walls of the Capital. Obviously protection must be provided for British sub- jects. The Navy may always he trusted to do this with discrimination and courage. The fact that American ships have also suffered ought to prevent any unfounded belief that Great Britain has " brought it upon herself" and is taking unnecessary action. We do not forget the old story, cherished in the Navy, that when certain British gunboats were in danger of being annihilated under Chinese forts an American ship rushed to their rescue. The American captain set aside all question of treaties that might have prohibited his action, and exclaimed " Blood is thicker than water ! "
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