Oct. 28.
Ip the Tariff Conference produces nothing else, it will be memorable for the wise and statesmanlike speech of the Japanese delegate. Mr. Hioki spoke feelingly of Japan's sympathy for China's aspirations and we may believe that he spoke sincerely; nor are any people behind the Japanese in this respect. But what Peking'e politicians have not realized and emphasize that external what Mr. Hioki did not fail to
dignity is only to be won by internal reform and that in rigid self-discipline lies the sole path to freedom: That truth was realized by the Japanese people ixty years ago.—Dis-they were with the nature of their foreign treaties, they had the sense to see the futility of all attempts to remove the effect without removing, cause. In this conviction they set to work silently, steadily, resolutely, with their eyes fixed upon the completion in their domestic It will come as a surprise to many people to be reminded that it was only so recently as in 1911 that Japan finally reached her goal. It had meant for her fifty-three long yeats of patient and energetic work expended in effecting many necessary reforms in various branches of her government.
That the earlier expressions of sympathy are real is shown by Japan's readiness to enlarge the original scope of the Washington agreement, to which Mr. Hioki suggested two alternative methods. But he did not omit to point the moral of his tale:—
Inauguation of a regime of tariff autonomy in China implies the existence of an adequately strong and unified government and presupposes 1 complete removal of all restrictions which might impede the freedom of intercourse and trade between China and other Powers.
That has been said in different ways, on many occasions, by scores of speakers and writers. But never on an occasion of so much importance nor by a speaker so well placed to exact: attention to what he said. Mr. Hioki is to be congratulated on bringing to the Conference, at the very outset, an atmosphere of cool common sense and the realities of China's whole situation.
After all that we have been told of Peking's intended reasonableness and of there being no thought of any "frightfulness," Dr. C. T. Wang's speech is a disappointment, His attempt to Juggle with the territorial-integrity treaty and the tariff resolutions of the Washington Conference is characteristic of the speaker. He knows perfectly well that these two issues had not at Washington and have not now the slightest connexion with each other. The only part of the Washington Conference with which the present meeting is concerned is the agreement to increase China's Customs duties in return for the abolition of likin and in order to provide the Government with more revenue—such increase to be imposed "'as from such date, for such purposes and subject to such conditions" as the Powers may determine. As for full tariff autonomy, Dr. Wang's calm proposal that this shall take effect in three yeaxe' time almost takes one's breath away. The sole condition apparently necessary in his mind is that by that time the National Tariff Law shall have been passed. If that is all that is necessary to establish the ideal state in which Peking and the Tuchuns might be given a free hand to do with the Customs revenue what they please, why wait three years? Why not in three months? Why not three days? Chinese official are past-masters in the art of ther reprodu ction prohibited without permission. drafting laws and regulations of beautiful appearance and we do not doubt for a moment that they could get a National Tariff Law Grafted and passed and pro mulgated this week that would satisfy every requirement, exe cept one—that of being obeyed. Tf Dr. Wang's speech is a true indication of the Chinese dele gates' attitude the Conference la even more a waste of time than it has always been known to be, It does not appear to be properly understood why the Powers should continue to control China's tariffs. No doubt. it sounds very bad abroad that they should do so, especially among the imperfectly educated sentimentalists of certain educational and labour circles. But apart from the interests of their nationals who have, in all good faith, lent money to China secured on the Customs revenue, and whom their Governments have every right to protect, the Powers, in exercising a jealous guardianship over the Customs, fare truly and indeed stewards for the Chinese people of thi most valuable and one uncorrupted source of revenue that the country possesses, on which, moreover, hangs the stability of vast sum in purely domestic loans, If Dr, Wang's proposals were accepted, there is not the slightest doubt of what would be-}come of the Customs in the hands fof the militarists; and our Peking correspondent tells us today that Chinese business-men are well aware of this and have no wish whatever that the protection afforded by the existing system should be in any way altered, The Powers can do no worse service to China—the people, not the partisans of Peking—than by playing with the integrity of the Customs; and it would even be dangerous for them to attempt to specify any term of years within which tariff autonomy might take effect. Let the politicians and milita take the lesson of Japan to heart, end it will be time to talk of autonomy, For all these reasons it is much to be regretted that no explicit statement came from the American delegation. A good Geal of doubt has been thrown upon Washington's official attude, perhaps unjustly. But from the note which the Federal council of Churches has taken it upon itself to address to the Secretary of State, it is clear that he is to be subjected to some of those heady, violent and unbalanced assaults from the religion-educational body which American laymen have learnt, with good reason, to dread. For the sake of the people of China, clear reassurance from the American delegation is ear nestly to be desired.
Meanwhile the Conference is literally sitting on a powder magazine, Wu Pei-fu has declared himself; Shantung is full of Chang Tso-lin's troops hurry ing to the Kiangsu border; and Sun Chuan-fang is not the man to turn back, Quite possibly Dr.
Wang's forensic audacities will yet receive an answer far more crushing than any foreign diplomat is likely to pronounce.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.