Oct, 8, 17 is not too much to say that the news that the Peking Government Is to be enabled to issue Treasury notes for four million dollars secured upon the Customs revenue was received yesterday, with consternation both by foreigners and Chinese. We regret deeply to write in criticism of Sir Francis Aglen, a man of the highest integrity, continually, labouring in the most dificult situations. As a servant of the only Government in sight, he may, have felt that he could not refus to undertake the service of the notes. But he has withstood that Government before now, when it attempted to raid the Customs revenue, in the interests of the Domestic bondholders and of the Service; and it is impossible not to feel that his consent in the present instance was unwise and fraught with extreme peril to the Customs as a whole, whose stabil ity, as a national asset, in which the whole nation is interested, far transcends the welfare of any, transient Government in Peking.
The excuse given for the that it is to be devoted "excl ly to civilian and administ expenses and the maintenance of peace and order in the capital" makes the matter decidedly: worse instead of better. What do the Chinese people generally cave for the maintenance of peace and order in Peking? A great many, of them desire excessively that there should be strife and disorder, to expedite the removal of the Government they detest. any ease, no amount of smooth-sounding camouflage can alter the fact that any money given to Peking now in one direction means j@st that amount in a other to spend on guns and soldier But the responsibility of the Diplomatic Body, though less direct, is actually" greater than that of the Inspector-Geners They may not have been consulted about the loan, but they certainly, cannot have been ignorant of it and no Chinese will believe for moment that Sir Francis Aglen would accent the service of the notes without the Diplomatic Body's knowledge and consent. Then will be heard again the bitter complaint made by Dr. Sun Yat-sen last December, when the Diplomatic Body intervened in force to prevent his seizing the Canton Customs, that the Powers assist Peking to take money out of the provinces in order to make war upon them, with all the greater force now that war is actually raging. This loan brings the Powers into direct issue with Marshal Chang Tso-lin, Already, we are told, if it goes through, he has threatened to seize the Manchurian Customs.
If he makes, ood this threat, what will the Diplomatic Body' do? Harbin, of course, is wholly beyond their reach; but would they. despatch a naval force to save the Newchwang Customs? To do that at a time like the present is tantamount to war upon Marshal Chang on behalf of Peking. That would be an open act of interven
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.