Shanghai Sorrow

In an earlier letter he writes;—"Shanghai is of course terrific. A huge brash, wicked city, still rich to outward appearances, but in reality in a state of anarchy, rife with graft and corruption, and the scene of the first real trial of strength between British and American forces. Yanks arrive as army officers, commandeer British flats and clubs, and unobtrusively change to big business men.

"There is no International Zone in Shanghai now. It is completely 'controlled' by the Chinese. On all sides I have heard terrible tales of the rottenness of the National Government Inflation, which still continues unchecked, has resulted in millions of hardworking people becoming starved and homeless, while a few at the top have become incredibly rich.

"A conservative Englishman in Shanghai told me that it would be a major tragedy if Russia, by not annexing Manchuria, allowed it to fall into Chiang's hands. Pretty well 100% of Unrra aid is sold by its corrupt administrators direct to the black market, and practically none of it has reached the interior.

"Opinion is that the Chinese were much better off under the Japs than under their own Government."