NEWS OF THE WEEK
THE Sino-Japanese conflict—war in fact, though no war has been formally declared—is developing on an in- creasing scale both in the Peking region and at Shanghai. The Shanghai fighting is the more important, both inter- nationally and for China herself, but the contest at Nankau, north-west of Peking, where the Chinese are stubbornly holding a pass of considerable strategic value, will affect the development of the campaign over a large area in North China. The Shanghai fighting originated nominally in a trifling fracas such as formed the excuse for the seizure of Peking, and it has now grown to the dimensions of a war on the great scale. Immense damage is being done to property both in and outside the International Settlement, which cannot hope to escape the effects of air-warfare by both sides, Chinese artillery fire and salvoes from the Japanese warships moored in the Whangpoo river. The Chinese forces are the more numerous but the Japanese are assisted effectively by the warships' guns, and reinforcements are on their way from Japan. The Japanese aeroplanes, according to reports, which may or may not be reliable, from Tokyo, have gained the upper hand everywhere. Certainly the most appalling carnage wrought so far was the work of bombs dropped, by accident or misjudgement, over Shanghai on Sunday from Chinese machines. If the fighting continues Japan seems likely gradually to establish a hold over Shanghai, and there are already indications that if she does she will show small respect for other countries' interests there.
