Nov, 12.
Wiite much attention ha: naturally been paid to Dr. Wellington Koo's denunciation of the Belgian Treaty, not so much' has yet been directed to his appointment of a commission to revise all the treaties between China and all foreign Powers. Yet it is an event of great importance, the sinister aspect of which lies in its utter disregard, not only of the so-called unequal treaties, but of the Washington ts which China signed tic salvoes. The Washington Conference was called to help China solve her international difficulties. At that conference, China was shown! every possible consideration. Immediately after it, Japan announced a change of policy favourable to China and returned Tsingtao to her. Prior to the conference, the Anglo-Japanese Alliance was not renewed, as unnecessary in view of the changed attitude of the Powers toward China. Within a short period, the foreign Pos: Offices were removed from the country' and a begining was made of concerted and sincere effort to abolish the unequal treaties and their concomitants, extraterritoi ality "ud tariff control.
To this one-sided effort on the part of the Powers to help China, the Peking Government replied by unworthy evasions and delay over the Lincheng affair. Canton replied with an anti-foreign movement and an anti-British boycott. The militarists throughout the country replied with: illegal taxation and the seizure of foreign goods.
The students) and labourers replied by ase! sociating themselves with Soviet} Russia and conducting thoughout China a Bolshevik campaign against those friendly Powers at Washington who had voluntarily undertaken to do so much to help their country. Since the Washington Conference, there has not been a day of peace in China. Beginning with the Hsu Hsih-chang presidency, there has not been a nationally recognized Government of China. Can foreigners be otherwise than pessimistic about the future of such a country?
The present government in Peking is not recognized by any large numbers of the Chinese people. Actually, it is the organ of one group of China's militarists, the Fengtien party. That party only obeys the mandate of the Peking Government when such mandates have been issued Government. No provincial gov ernment acknowledges its a thority. No constitutional process, brought it into existence. Tt is self-constituted and rules by the grace of Chang Chung-chang, the collector of illegal taxes in Shantung. It is such a Government which abrogates treaty with a great Power and which appoints a commission of its own henchmen to revise all treaties. No fact in Chinese history, since China has had relations with foreigners, to sheer absurdity than But more sinister to foreign interests is the fact that an international situation is again being used in the interminable see-saw of Chinese politics. It would appear that Dr. Koo is acting, by his own selection, as. a Regent for the Presidency, a political sport unknown here'o-fore. As Regent, he acts a3 President while, at the same time, he is Premier and controls the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In a word, within the narrow domain of Peking, he has concentrated within himself almost all the nominal power' remaining to the Peking Government. At this time, within the party which permits him to remain in power in Peking, a new political ideal has found expression: they hope to make Chang Tso-lin President with a view to concentrating a thority in the North as it is concentrating in the South within a single leadership. That means that Dr. Koo is to be ousted from his fine feathers as a useless thing, a something which served a purpose and no longer has the slightest value.
Hence the obvious bid for Canton's support in his action toward: Belgium and in respect, of his new treaty-revision committee. Just as Wellington Koo turned from the Chihli Party to the Fengtien Party, just as in his younger days," he turned from the Republicans to Yuan Shih-kai, so is he now ready to turn from Northern militarism, to Southern militarism. In word, he is trying to please his Jerstwhile, and so far as anyone knows, present enemies, political and personal, within the Kuomintang. Among Kuomintang leaders, it is generally understood that no peace is ever to be, made with Dr. Koo because of his career under Yuan Shih-kai and during the political struggle between the Kuomintang and the Peking Government. while Dr. Sun Yat-sen was alive. Now that Kiukiang has fallen and that Wu Pei-fu and Sun Chuan-fang are not winning the day so easily, Dr. Koo seeks to outdo the Reds in their antiforeignism. Not once has Canton officially suggested that the solution of the treaty problem can be solved by cancellation of treaties, abrogation' of conventions and repudiation of obligations. It may have! done some of these things, but it has always been careful to cover its acts by explanations which at any rate gave the appearance of conforming to the text of the treaties. Dr. Koo, to turn himself into a Red, must go beyond the maddest dreams: of Canton, He must take a step) which is an affront to every Power and which particularly slaps the face of the United States, the convener of the Washington Conference.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.