"In Perpetuity!"

Japanese spies uncovered last May a Chinese plan to raid Mukden, Japan's bristling war base in Manchuria. What her spies had discovered Japan made public last June, took elaborate precautions. Nevertheless smart Chinese soldiers 1,000 strong staged their raids last week in two sallies, strictly on schedule.

Selling their lives dearly in a gesture which they hoped would impress the world, the 1,000 Chinese attacked with trench mortars and machine guns. Even Japanese news censors had to admit that the Great South Gate of Mukden's Chinese City, her arsenal, air field and radio station were "hotly contested" all one night and one day. Chinese, counting their dead in hundreds, thought the gesture worth its cost.

Meanwhile in Tokyo rich and whimsical Foreign Minister Count Yasuya Uchida toyed publicly with his diplomatic pretense that Manchuria split of itself from China (TIME, Sept. 5). Questioned by a member of the Japanese Diet, the Count purred: "As for Manchukuo, Japan is confronted with an unprecedented opposition of world public opinion. Nevertheless we are determined to follow the course already fixed in the face of all opposition. We are doing our utmost through our diplomats abroad to improve world feeling toward Japan, but thus far we can admit no optimism."

This bland admission that Japan knows the whole world regards her course in Manchukuo as wrong, Count Uchida followed up by announcing the inflexible purpose of Japan to sign "before September 15 at the latest" a treaty recognizing the puppet state.

"Will the entire treaty text be made public?" correspondents asked at the Gaimusho (Japanese Foreign Office).

"All of it is fair and it ought to be published," hedged Gaimusho's press spokesman. "It is a recognition of Japan's right--I had better say obligation--to station troops in Manchuria."

"Will Manchukuo pay the expenses of the Japanese troops?"

"Japan pays all the expenses," beamed the spokesman, "and I can tell you another thing. The treaty is all in one sentence--a sentence one page and half long. We followed the style of American treaty drafters--the best in the world--saying everything clearly and briefly."

"How long is the treaty for?"

"It runs without limit, in perpetuity!"

More Shanghaiing? Because there were more Japanese bluejackets in Shanghai last week than at the beginning of the Japanese occupation last winter (TIME, Feb. 1); because Japanese war boats kept edging in; and because the Japanese blue-jackets in Shanghai behaved with extraordinary insolence, terrified Chinese began to believe that they may soon again be Shanghaied.

Recently Chinese intensified their boycott of Japanese goods (TIME, Aug. 22). Japan must sell her goods to China--or the whole inflated, pyramided structure of Japanese industry will collapse. Since Chinese refuse to buy, Japanese must do something. Last week Chinese editors clarioned fears that the Japanese Navy will attempt to seize not only Shanghai but all Chinese ports of any consequence.

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