The concluding paragraph of the recent message from Reuter's Po king correspondent, dealing with the delay in the ratification of China's Customs tariff, contained an important note of warning with regard to the Commission which is to consider the question of a 23 per cent. surtax. This Commission it is pointed out, cannot begin work until three months after the ratification of the Washington Treaty by all the Powers concerned and its recommendations will require the approval of all Treaty Powers as in the present. case.
Hence if there is delay in ratification of a revision only designed to bring the tariff up to an effective 5 per cent., there is likely to be at least as much delay over so thorny a question as a surtax and luxury: taxes. The matter is of importance, because Peking is undoubted ly very anxious to borrow on the security of the expected yield from the Customs. That it is already trying to do so is indicated by a mission proposed by the Washington Conference should think carefully and clearly about cases: of this sort—in which men are suddenly and without legal process. arrested, thrown into horrible prisons and held without bail. These occurrences are not good for China.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.