The marriage of the royal pair was solemnized in London at West-minster Abbey between eleven and twelve (noon) on that date, and was looked upon by the whole British nation as the most auspicious event in recent years. From accounts received by cable the wedding was one of the most elaborate and impressive ceremonies of its kind that has been held for a very long time, unprecedented crowds of loyal subjects throng-ing the approaches to the Abbey and Buckingham Palace, and numerous royal visitors from other countries being present at the service. The hearts of all members of the British Empire go out in good wishes to the young couple for a long and happy married life.

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Shanghai American Community Organized

On November 14 a large gathering of American residents in Shanghai adopted the constitution of an association called the American Community of Shanghai and elected a committee of fourteen to be known as the Community Committee. On November 26, Major Arthur Bassett, one of the directors of the British-American Tobacco Company, was chosen to be chairman of the new association, which represents the culmination of many years work in consolidating the various interests of the American community in Shanghai for purposes of unity and efficiency. The committee of fourteen will choose six more members, the whole twenty to remain in office till March, 1935, when a regular election by ballot will be held. There are approximately six thousand Americans in Shanghai, and it seems a fit and proper thing that some such organization to take adequate care of their interests should exist.

While this new body may be compared with the British Residents' Association, formed late in 1931 to safeguard the interests of British residents in China, it has a somewhat wider scope, such as would be the case with the British Residents' Association were the functions of the various sub-national organizations, such as the St. George's, St. Andrew's and St. Patrick's Societies delegated to it. We are glad to see the Americans thus organizing, themselves, as we feel that it will strengthen the position of all foreign residents in China.

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Gold, Silver and the U.S.A.

Meanwhile it is probably not out of place to enquire exactly what the United States Government thinks it is doing with gold and silver ? A Havas telegram, dated November 24, stated that official statistics that had been released on that date revealed the fact that the gold reserves of the United States Treasury amounted to U.S. $8,076,167,135, and that the Treasury Department had purchased since last February gold to the value of over U.S. $1 ,000,000,000. This reserve of gold is the greatest that the United States Government has ever held, and it would seem that it is to be increased still further. Not only is America accumulating immense stocks of gold, however, she is also buying silver at an unprecedented rate, as far as can be gathered. A United Pre88 message from Washington, dated November 23, was to the effect that, in spite of the export tax placed on silver by the Chinese Government, this country continues to be the largest exporter of silver to the United 8tates, U.S. $3,263,210 worth of silver having been imported into that country during the week ending November l6, as compared with U.S. $655,875 worth of silver from Great Britain. Total imports of silver into the United States for the week amounted to U.S. $5,050,207, while the preceding week's imports were to the value of U.S. $4,570,084.

What the United States Government's object is in thus accumulating such vast quantities of gold and silver it is ifficult to see, for its effect on other countries is bound to be unfavourable and so in the long I un it must react unfavourably on America's export trade.

In China we are afready feeling the ill effects of this policy on the part of the United States Government in a general stagnation in business, a depreciation in the value of stocks and shares, and a falling off in land and real estate values. Shortage of silver is forcing the interest rate up, and, consequently, the value of shares, bonds and debentures down. This is reducing China's buying power. Presumably similar conditions prevail, or will shortly prevail, in other countries for similar reasons: then, it may be asked, hrnv is the holding of such vast stocks of gold and silver going to benefit America ? She will be in the position of the poker player who has won all the chips only to find that none of the other players have the wherewithall to redeem them, and so tell him to go and play with his chips by himself if he can get any satisfaction out of it.

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Chinese Newspaper Owner Murdered

Our sympathy gocs out to the bereaved members of the family of the late Mr. Sze Uang-tsai, publisher of the Shun Pao, one of China's two leading newspapers, who was foully murdered on the afternoon of November 13 while returning from Hangchow to Shanghai on the newly opened motor highway between these two cities. His car was stopped by another car drawn up across the road in the outskirts of a village not far from Hangchow, and immediately he and his chauffeur were shot down by several armed men, his young son fortunately making his escape by running into the neighbouring thickets. Though an intensive search for the murderers is being carried out, so far only a few suspects have been arrested, and the whole tragic affair is wrapped in mystery, as regards both the real perpetrators of the dastardly crime and their motives. A holding of a giant memorial service for the deceased is planned by the representatives of fifty civic, commercial and public organizations in Shanghai, while everything possible is being done to bring the criminals to justice.

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Germany 's Army Exceeding 1914.

Strong allegations were made in the report on the war budget for Prance for 1935 against Germany in the matter of arms, according to a Reuter telegram from Paris dated November 20. In asking for war credits of Fr. 5,689,000,000, the report asserted that in 1935 Germany will be able to put 5,500,000 men in the field in the course of a few days, while her standing army is 600,000 strong. In addition some 3,500 to 4,000 trained air-pilots will be available while the well-known arms manufacturing firm of Krupp is speeding up the turning out of guns, and ammunition factories are increasing their output. How far this report is correct it is impossible to ascertain, but there seems to be little doubt that Germany is rearming at a considerable rate, which, it must be obvious, bodes ill for the peace of Europe. Parity should be brought about by disarmament on the part of the heavily armed, rather than by the further arming of the afready poorly armed countries.

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Arms Manufacture Inquiry Announced

Much to the satisfaction of many who do not believe in war, and hold to the theory that the big manufacturer of arms and ammunition have been largely responsible for the big wars of modern times, it was announced on November 23 that the British Government had decided to hold a trade inquiry into the question of private manufacture of armaments. This inquiry will investigate the disirability and practicability or otherwise of a state monopoly in the manufacture of armaments, and, if these points are decided in the negative, what steps can be taken to prevent the terrible abuses to which the private manufacture of arms and munitions is subject. It is sincerely to be hoped that this action on tbe part of the British Government will be followed by similar action in other countries, and that these will lead to a general international agreement over the control of arms manufacture and traffic. If this is accomplished the world will be one important step nearer the ideal of permanent peace.

Incidentally, it is both interesting and significant that Mr. Lamont du Pont, president of the famous firm of manufacturers of explosives, E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, was reported by Reuter in a message from Wilmington, Delaware, dated November 19, to have advocated Government control and international supervision of the arms trade in a letter addressed to Senator Nye, chairman of the recent arms inquiry in Washington. While, however, Mr. dii Pont favoured the strictest control under provisions of an international pact, and recommended that the export of arms from the United States should only be permitted under Government visa, he objected to any Government arms monopoly on the grounds that such would weaken and, if carried too far, cripple nat.ional defence. We wonder

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Air Travel Development

In an in'eresting article by Frskine Johnson, NEA service staff correspondent, dated October 20, a vivid picture is given of a network of air lines over the Pacific Ocean, the establishing of which may well become an accomplished fact in the not too distant future. An accompanying map shows a mam air-route extending from San Francisco to Honoliilu, thence to Midway Island, and on to Wake Island, Guam, Manila and Hongkong. Japan could be reached direct from Honolulu, whence also a line could extend to Anstralia via Samao, Fiji and New Caledonia, while New Zealand could be reached by a hop from Samoa. Japan, Guam, New Britain (off New Gninea) and Brisbane is another feasible air-route, while yet other could run from Vladivostok or Tokyo to Vancouver by way of the Aleutian Islands. Experiments at present are planned in regard to the first named route from San Francisco to Hongkong. It may here be noted that aerial travel is developing rapidly in China, where distances are great and other travel facilities still far from satisfactory. Unfortunately, however, China seems to be more interested in fighting and bombing machines, and is spending on these large sums that she could much more profitably put into commercial machines. National defence and the subjugation of communist-bandit hordes are given as the reasons for this expenditure, we cannot help feeling that the Chinese Government would be better advised to put everything the country has into commercial and industrial development as the surest way to achieve national safety.