'A Word for Some Who May Otherwise Be Left Out One of the traditions of this time of the year—a tradition that is upheld widely among the Euro-eighty equal to that of any other) pet and American peoples—is the Power in the family of nations; ftiving of presents to one's friends lard that it is only a question. of and, correlatively, the receipt of time when extraterritoriality will presents, a custom which in the be abandoned. In determining this aggregate results in an orgy of ime the American Government has ing, giving and assumed an evolutionary develop-to many of us ment. Our idea is that the repeal the custom means the purchase of lof extraterritoriality should come more or less useless things which with the establishment of a stable] we cannot really afford to buy, to and effective Chinese Government, be presented to those who do not exercising. jurisdiction over the really need them, that feeling of provinces of China generally. The sentimentality concerning Christmas abandonment of extraterritoriality which gives to generosity an imalso implies the existence of codes petus, and to parsimoniousness a law, of courts for the enforce-reaction, is apt to make us forget, ment of these laws; and of a judicial for temporarily to side-track, those ice in the presence of which economic facts of our domestic life that are based on the cardinal precepts of income and expenditure. jon of Jurists The Children's Teas Washington Conference, Jamong the other important benefits it conferred on China, provided for of 2 Commission of Jurists, who should 1a_and in conjunction with the Chinese Government inves-te the conditions under which gradually o otherwise, in which this This Christmas-tide, this time of family re-union, of demonstrations of friendship, good-will and good-fellowship, however it may be looked forward to by those of us who have passed the age of innocence, provides to the children the greatest pleasure of all, with its parties, its toys, its presents, its joy unrestrai ed. 'Children at' all times if they be happy, and at Christmas time change should meeting of this be effected. The especially, Commission of @nd a which the separate cCammanen et rest of us live. They are Salty request of the Ohinese Government ™essengers bringing us themselves. I believe, however, that glimpses of another world—a world the time is now approaching for thi We may ourselves have been in, a Commission to meet, and the world we may even have forgotten, Government of the United States in ind which the most immutable of spirit of helpfulness to China, is all nature's laws precludes our ever desirous that the Commission should All children deserve They are in that. mos be convened at the earliest practic-lable date. The resolution on transient period of transent life; they are still far from the subject adopted by the Washington which comes to all Conference is final. It does not if in varying degrees have to await the ratification by the ty; and duty—a duty in Governments of the Powers re-which our own parents, our own presented at the conference. All people, did not fail us—demands that is needed is that the Govern-that while at all times we should ments should appoint their repre-strive, so far as we are able, to sentatives and that the jurists ensure that their young lives are should come to China and undermade as happy us possible, at this take the investigation which of the year we should mako they are charged by the Washington 2 special effort on their behalf. We have been referring, of course, The Chinese Customs Tariff to those children who have homes, The Washington Conference also and parents, and brothers and provided for the meeting in China fers, and friends; children to Jof a "Special Conference" to levy whom their childhood is, more o¢ a surtax of 24 per cent. on the ess, that happy, unalloyed exist-[Chinese Maritime Customs. The fence which is the just lot of every child, whether it be born of rich treaty in which this was embodied has not yet been ratified by Parents or poor; and who will, in the ordinary and natural order of the Po ud s0 the meeting of derive additional pleasure" this special conference has been from the annual Jdelayed. Tt is, however, the earnest Period of joy and rejoicing that hope of the American 'Government now almost upon lehar tha treaty may speedily ratified by all of the governments, 'The Uncared for Jand that the meeting of the special But what of those others, also conference to levy the surtax may' in our midst?—those children who held in the very near future. have no bright homes, no parents The American Government realizes able to provide adequately for their that the Government of China needs daily necessities Let alone any thi ind as China, under special for Christmas; children to whom real brigittness, real hapjnot_now levy her own Customs ness has yet to come in their young the American Government are many. such in feels that she should receive an inhai, and to them, unless some-Jcreace of the tariff at the, hands of thing is done to render their lot the Treaty Powers. little brighter, Christmas will be as T have already said that there is dull, as drab' a as colourless. as demand in China for the immediate abolishment of extraterritoriality. It will not have escaped your attention that there is also a Jdemand in China for complete tariff autonomy. At the present—time these demands are somewhat—revolutionary and the American Government favours in both cases a policy of evolution. That evolutionary policy was expressed at the Washington Conference, forwg of resolutions and treaties. In the opinion of the American Govern-_ ment the date of the meeting the Commission of Jurists to investigate the subject' of extraterri. toriality, and the date for the meet Jing of the special conference to levy. the Customs Surtax should not be: long postponed. Nothing could contribute more effectively to that Jconsummation than the establishment in China -of a government itself to foreign nations by its stability, effectiveness, jand comprehensive Jurisdiction.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.