The acceptance of make-believe in past relations with China has undoubtedly stimulated disruption, The pretence that the various cliques that have usurped authority in Peking were the successive Governments of China, competent to sign and seal bargains in the name of the Chinese people, competent to ive the Chinese people the kind of administration that would promote their interests and ours, and com-potent to exact from every district and every official in China respect for existing foreign treaties—this pr tence has been a convenient curtal behind which Chinese officialdom has been able to throw off sponsibility to the Chinese people and the outside world, exploit the country to the point of exhaustion, harry the foreigner to the point of desperation, and break down all of China's best social traditions to the point of demoralization, Throughout China, in all' foreign circles, not even excepting the matic circle in Peking and ce excepting consular circles in the big ports, feeling is growing into Jsomething like an unanimous demand that this pretence must now be abruptly and pointedly dropped:—In the interest of the Chinese people, whose condition needs adverti ing abroad; out of fairness to f the Peking Government istently refuse to recognize its mandates; out of fairness to the foreign trader in China whose interests cannot be adequately protected while it is fatuously assumed that there is a Government in Pe-King competent to safeguard foreign persons, property and invest ments; and, finally for the purpose jof stimulating in China a genuine effort towards reunification and reform. ince it is very patent that the: recognition of a series of make-believe Governments in Peking has done infinite' harm, it is confident hoped that the abandonment pretence will do some good. The Publication of a definition of a competent Chinese Government, a Gov-emmment fit to sign treaties and the Tariff Conference for instance, would entail the withdrawal of recognition and, technically, at any rate, the withdrawal of the foreign Ministers.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.