CHINA: Thou Shalt Not Covet Rifles

The Chinese Officers’ Moral Endeavor Association (“organized to build charac-ter”) issued at Nanking recently Ten Commandments. Not legally binding, they are nevertheless officially sanctioned and strongly recommended to Chinese officers of all ranks by slim, shrill, wasp-waisted little President Chiang Kaishek, now busy fighting bandits (TIME, June 29).

I. Thou shalt not covet rifles.

II. Thou shalt not fear to die.

III. Thou shalt not ostentatiously show thyself.

IV. Thou shalt not be proud.

V. Thou shalt not be lazy.

VI. Thou shalt not commit adultery or gamble.

VII. Thou shalt not smoke.

VIII. Thou shalt not borrow money.

IX. Thou shalt not drink wine.

X. Thou shalt not lie.

Thus a Chinese officer may by implication:

Covet anything except rifles.

Commit anything except adultery.

Borrow anything except money.

Drink anything except wine.

Steal, kill, dishonor father & mother, disregard the Sabbath, have any gods they like and images thereof.