Returning to the question of tariff autonomy, the Japanese delegation are willing, as I have already stated, to consider sympathy tically and helpfully any reasonable plan of the Chinese Government looking to the realization of their national aspirations in this regard. Evidently the goal could be reached only by successive stages and we rest assured in the belief tha: an immediate and uncot ditional render by the Rowers of weir existing treaty rights is not within the contemplation of China herself.
"At this juncture," continued Mr. Hioki, "the Japanese Delegation Venture to suggest the following intermedi be adopted for alternative plans that might, a definite period to be agreed upon. First, that a statutory tariff on a sir und reasonable basis established for; zeneral application, subject to the provisions of special conventional tariff on certain specified articles to be agreed upon separately between China and each of the Powers directly interested; or secondly, that a graduated tariff, 80 devised as to be acceptable to ithe Powers concerned, be established at an average rate of not more than 12h per cent ad valorem and generally in a manner consistent with the provisions of Article 2 of the Washington Treaty. The inauguration of a regime of tariff autonomy in China implies the existence of an adequately strong and unified government and poses a complete removal of all restrictions' which might impede the freedom of intercourse trade between China and Powers.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.