the Elitor of "Norra-Cuixa Dany News."
Sir,—I was much interested in readin Mr. Kerr's letter in your issue of this morning. The information given was important and some of it quite new to me and I imagine to the general public.
Tam sorry Mr. Kerr has departed from the principle of the consideration of the question on its own merits and has attempted to minimise the importance of the great problem before us by endeavouring to show that I am but a novi Let me assure Mr. Kerr that my acquaintance with these problems did not begin some 2 or 3 years ago as he states, but that for 16 years I have travelled over this empire and come into close contact with its people and conditions. I have naturally formed certain opinions to some of which T have given expression. If writers prefer to criticise me personally rather than the opinions advanced I regret their decision, for in a great question like that now before us it were better to drop personalities altogether and_ give our best efforts to the problems confronting us. I have acted in this way and shall continue to do so.
T yield to none in my respect for the persons of Sir James acks~ s: Mr. Dudgeon, and in admiration of "their sterling qualities and great abilities, but even so I claim the right, belonging te every citizen of the great liberty-loving nations like Britain and America, of forming independent opinions and expressing them. The effect of Mr. Kerr's argument is:—These eminent gentlemen have the matter in hand and are more qualified than other persons to deal with these matters, therefore, others had better stand aside." The fact that men of world-wide renown and life-long experience like Lord Landsdowne and Mr. Chamberlain. are at the head of their departments does not debar ordinary men from reviewing their policy and opinion and in some cases reversing the same with advantage to the nation. I cannot think Mr. Kerr would press his point to its logic cal conclusion and strangle discussion an opinion. If he does I must part company with him and still continue to exercise the right to my own opinions of any policy put forward.
Let me assure Mr. Kerr that I have reached the conclusions arrived at by indo. pendent lines of thought and experience and that I have not stolen the thunder of the China Association. My pamphlet was written before a single document of the C. A. cate into my hands. str. Kerr him.
If has handed me certain documents of the C. A. bearing on the year 19012 Ime Tam not indebted to these for_my ideas. "if L were so indebted why should I not have taken over the entire articles which Mr. sert tells us have have been submitted, and not contented myself with' only 15. a matter of fact. I was not aware until this morning that the C. A. had submitted any articles to Sir James other than an agreement to the 15 per cent import tariff. The above being the case, 1 withdraw the statement that we have looked, so far in vain, for action along these lines from the C. A. and would suggest that the substance of those articles be communicated to the members of the C. A. T care nothing for the mere language of the articles. Wo want the substatice and do not wish to waste time over the shadow.
Mr. Kerr says there is not a single point in the 15 articles suggested by me which has not been considered and so on. That may be true, but there is a very great difference for instance in Article 1 whether the recommendation be for a 5 per cent or a 15 per cent import tariff!
One word andre and this word I should Hi ko to be an emphatic one. I am intenseterested in the highest welfare of this country. Our mercantile relations are of the greatest importance and in them I am personally interested in the same way as wndreds of thousands of others in the trading centres of the land. I am standing for what I honestly believe to be for the best interest of all concerned. I do not wish to see foreign trade hampered or killed by excessive import duties and I am most anxious to see all present restrictions to trade removed. These reforms I press for in the interests of the largest number. I do not propose to depart from this position. It will be a thousand pities if the great issues at stake are clouded by personalities: into this arena I decline to des cord.
In the meantime a wide-spread interest is being excited and by degrees we are getting some information as to what is becial treaty. Wo are all vitally concerned ing done along the lines of a new commer-
in these negotiations and the mercantile community throughout China is now on the qui vive as to what is proceeding and well it may be, for its future welfare is wrapped up in the decisions of the Commissioners now at work. It is the duty of commercial men in the East to let their Commissioners know what they want and what they believe is required for the de-
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Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.