To the Editor of the foRTH-CHINA Datty News"
Vhat purports to be ax fon of the "Tarsu, care appears in w recent publication by Mr. wal King "In the Chinese Customs Set ind in view of the fact thor's version of the offal to have gained coally iv is appropriate to remove stich misconceptions as_may- have been ered) ed. The vessel concerner was unjustifiably seized by a Chinere under a permis officially issued by he Government there. "And the Canton Viceroy, ap-Pointed one of his Secretaries and Mr. Paul King, then functioning as Commissioner of Customs in Canton, to arsin him in conducting the affalt Janaincs the steamer. Judged merce ly by Mr. King's somewhat confused narra ive the ease appears unduly plicated, and stich irrelevant vessel's departure from iticns of hor charter party, of Hongkong, ete., are given undue prominence: while dhe naive suggestion that ax che time limit for appeal agains: the proposed vestigation had run on: "the vessel was confiseuble if the Chinse Governmen: so desired" is apt to mislead the uninitiated! Mr. Paul King, however, is perfectly correct: in stating that the Chinese Gover meri: placed the matter in che hands lof Sir Robert Hart. And the Inspector-General ix accused of having betrayed his trus: because he neglect to follow the lead given by. the Viceroy's "advisers" and thas failed to supper: their nursery diplomacy! Mr. Paul King, on his own showing, "had thrown himself heat and onl into the case," which wi [certainly presented with mieroseopi mimutenexs—"only one mistake had bbsen made," we are told, the Cap-lun of the Chinere gunboat hi hauled down the Tateu's flag, and this Mr. Paul King suggested sonk! be considered a separate incident. apart from she seizure of the vessel. Yet _na.withstanding the mass of: of Mr. Paul King and his coadj tors, Sir Robert Hart did not uphold the Viceroy's attitude! Why? The: plain man has no doubt noticed hays, we cancel factors which do "ne. matter. and, finally, 9 state ax somethin brief and The process, in fact, appears +9 easy that it may sometimes be difficul: to detect reasoning powers behind Che pot fo Such powers helonge' in'an eminent dexre> to Sir Robert Hart, and in this particular instane: when the Governmen. approached him for counsel, he, seeing clearly through the smoke of many watehfires, asked the simple question Whit rule did the Tate Mara break?" He then proceeded go state chat-there was nothing whatever te preverr: a Japanese steamer from Tanding munitions Macao—that in the Colony's waters—with the trafic? Is he to speak to a public, permission of che Porzaguere Auth And se the maser was ely nipped in the bud before jaseumed " dangerous" dimensions, Which would "unquestionably. have seriously embarrassed the Chinese Goveramen: vf The dat Enclosing my. card, Tam, ete, Up Cousiry, Maren 28, 1925,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.