Jan, 22.
THE announcement of the Canton Government's decision— it will, no doubt, prove more rect, to say attempt—to seize control of the Maritime Customs is merely what was to be expected when Dr. Sun Yat-sen and his friends went south to reinstitute the Military ~Government after the expulsion of the Kuangsi party. Very appositely we receive to-day from our Peking correspondent an account of the steps leading up to this event. When Mr. Quo Tai-chi passed through Shanghai at the beginning of this month, it was known that he was the bearer of a virtual ultimatum from Canton to the Diplomatic Body, "and Canton's determination to seize what it cannot get by persuasion is the consequence of Mr, Quo's failure.' Much the 1¢ thing was tried by the then Government of the Southwestern Federation in August, 1918, but without suc ce: the Legations taking a very strong stand, even to the length of - threatening to send a man-of-war to Canton. With the Salt Gabelle, however, the case was different, and Yunnan, Kuangtung and Szechuan were all permitted to sequestrate considerable salt money: for their own use. Chang Tso-lin fried the same game last autumn for the payment of his troops; but there the Tegations interfered and he released the money On the other hand, since the di: pute in 1918 mentioned above, the Diplomatic Body has consented to a percentage. of the Customs surplus being paid to Canton. The Legations' policy, in short, has been wholly lacking consistency, a fact which does
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.