Wiping Memories

The Chinese Nationalist Government, now firmly and respectably established at Nanking, wants to wipe from U. S. memories the fact that one year ago, when its soldiers took Nanking, they looted much U. S. property and killed one U. S. citizen* (TIME, April 4, 1927).

Last week the wiping process began in earnest when six diplomatic notes simultaneously changed hands at Shanghai, between Nationalist Foreign Minister Huang-Fu and the U. S. Minister to China, John Van Antwerp MacMurray. Nanking promised in substance that: 1) reparation will be made to U. S. citizens who suffered when the city was captured; 2) the Chinese who looted and in one instance murdered will be punished, and, 3) hereafter, U. S. citizens will enjoy protection and security in Nanking.

In order that the Nanking Government should not "lose face" in China by making these promises, Minister MacMurray assured Nationalist Huang-Fu that the U. S. State Department is "willing to express regret" that it was necessary for a U. S. river gunboat to bombard Nanking during the troublous times.

* The Rev. John E. ("Jack") Williams affectionately esteemed by thousands of Chinese who had attended the Nanking University, of which he was vice-chancellor.