Shanghai, May 22.
Mr. H. Yokotake, Commercial] Attache to the Jepanese Legation in Peking with his offices in the local Japanese Consulate-General, who has been attending the Tariff Conference as Japanese technical expert and who returned here last Tuesday for a short visit, in an interview with a representative of the Toho News Agency: stated in part:—"Rumour has it that the Tariff Conference, which has been sitting for about six months, has become a mere dream in consequence of- the retirement of the ex-Chief Executive, Marshal Tuan Chi-jui; but for my part, I can find no reason what-fever to believe such stories, "T should, on the contrary, take the view that arrangements on the whole have been completed. The: delegates of the Powers concerned freely exchanged their views, and the definition of interests, which has: to be drawn between the Powers, has become clearer than ever, Their respective standpoints in this country have thus been clarified and there are not a few subjects in lite agenda on which an agreement has been reached concretely.
Debts to Settle "Therefore, it cannot said that the Conference in vain. Although it may be quite right in theory that the additional Customs revenue should be app! to the abolition of likin, to consolidation of debts, to administrative expenses and to other constructive enterprises, it looks as if it will be very difficult to derive any tangible amount of cash of the increased ages financiers of reality. past few foreign traders and would be totally devoid After the events of the months, for instance, Jore can describe the revenue of the [Chinese Maritime Customs inviolable security for the service of the unsecured debt no matter to what degree the hypothetical revenue is increased. The amortization of funding loan would require at least 30 or 40 years, and nothing but the certainty that the foreign administration of the Customs and of the loan. service would not be tampered with throughout this long period would warrant the issue to Jereditors and investors of new loan bonds. The delegates party to the conference would be patronizing a écliberate swindle, in view of their Jexperience in China, if they endorsed sand patronized the issue of new Paper lacking just such guarantees. And such guarantees are not to be had. Neither can they. agree in honesty to tariff autonomy in exchange for the abolition of likin when they know, as certainly as any-in the future can be known, that Peking cannot abolish likin except in name and that mo Chinese Government for a generation to come will be able to prevent the imposition of so-called consumers' taxes and destination taxes compensating the official incubus for the Togs of it were abolished.
Add to these considerations the fact that there is no recognized government, that there is not likely to be a government representing the people upon whom the burden of an eased import revenue will fall land the final fact that there seems!
be no class of Chinese vitally interested in keeping the conferences alive, and there would appear to be every possible reason for an honest delegate's, immediate resignation.
No Courage to Tell Truth And there truly is no legitimate Jexeuse for going on with it except Jone. That one excuse lies in consideration for misguided public sentiment and opinion abroad. A sentimental concern for China's independence, equality, self-determination, sovereign rights and what not has been built up by deliberate mize representation of conditions [China and has latterly been fostered by both missionary and Soviet propaganda in America and.. Burope, hich would be outraged. by the in: Jdefinite postponement of the: éonerence after such a! step thad beea explained in: various quarters' by Chinese diplomatic -agents abroad, bby the agents and friends of the! vergent vs Settled: ry Customs: revenue. which might. be utilized for constructive "purposes, especially in view of the fact: that the Chinese Government now labours under a burden of foreign loans to the extent of over $1,000,000,000, "Some people seem to have a pessimistic opinion of the prospects of the Conference, on account of the withdrawal of Mr. Peel, the British delegate, But I do not think that his departure need prove a drawback in any way to the tinuance of the Conference when it is re-opened, British technical experts still remain Peking, not to mention the British Minister there.
"The trouble is that the Conference has been brought to a stand. still owing to the dissolution of the Provisional Government under the Chief Executive, Marshal Tua China has hitherto been placed difficult position so far as her Cus toms affairs are concerned, and it is for this reason, in particular, that I sincerely desire' to see the present Conference crowned with success, Japanese Reciprocity Treaty "It is the intention of the Japa ese Government t> complete negotia. tions with the Chinese Government. for the concluding of a treaty of reciprocity, to come into force after the restoration of China's customs autonomy, if, that is, a legal Government has been established in Peking.
"A treaty of this sort will without doubt prove beneficial to both China and Japan, So long as no definite agreement' is reached ox Customs tariffs, the peoples of both countries cannot but feel unensy.—Toho N. A, Protestant missions, and by Russia's agents inthe labour world. We hould have it stated and believed by: Kome millions of talkative per-in American and Great Britain particularly, that the Powers deliberately cheated Chi delegates to attend th then recalling them after Chit gained certain distinct advan: and that the break up of the conference was proof positive of an international determination to persist in a policy of imperialistic, capitalistic aggression and exploita: tion in China. There is" enough misinformation about. China in {circulation abroad as it is, without affording opportunity for a further misapprehension and giving the Home Governments further excuse for pursuing a fatuously and dan-[ger ously weak policy in the East, 5 appear that the only thing to do is to let the conference "drag on, to the increasing loss of foreign prestige, until the Chinelo themselves are prompted to with-\draw or until such time as they are forced to confess publicly and frank-that they cannot provide the \guarantees, without actually asking "for foreign control, which would make it possible for the decisions of the conference to be embodied a treaty or a series of treaties.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.