5 MARCH 1927, Page 2

A householder who wanted to protect his windows from the

bullets of machine guns would not find that it was of much use to keep all the defenders inside the house. His only effective line of defence would be in the garden. We either defend the Settlement or we do not. If the defence is to be real, it must clearly be carried out under the advice of those on the spot. It is perfectly well known that those on the spot, so far from courting unnecessary contact with Chinese soldiers, have been most strictly ordered to exercise every restraint and avoid every kind of provocation. One of the greatest dangers however, would come from demoralized Chinese, soldiers flooding into the Settlement and the object is to prevent them from doing this.