Jan, The action of the Hupeh Provineial Government in abolishing the municipal administrations of the former German and Russian Concessions at Hankow and amalgamating them in the Wa-hon Municipality, has justly excited the indignation' and anxiety of foreigners much further afield than Hankow. From every point of view the Hupeh Government's act is arbitrary and illegal, and is, unfortunately, not devoid of deliberate deception, Not long ago the Minister for Foreign Affairs in Nanking assured the British Minister that no change in the status of the old Concessions was contemplated. There can be no ques tion but that Dr. C. T. Wang spoke sincerely and in ignorance of what the Hupeh Government was plotting. But as late as on December 29 the same assurance was given by the Commissioner for Foreign Affairs of Hupeh to the British Consul-General Hankow, although the abolition of the separate administration of the SAD. 1 and 2 had been actually' resolved upon and the customary regulations were issued on that very day. On top of illegality and deception comes by interference with freedom of speech and individual liberty exemplified in the prohibition of of fo atepayers in a hall which is the property of the Hankow Race Club has been leased and used for public meetings by the Municipality. of the old British Concession for many yea It should be emphasized that the S.A.D, 1 and 2 were constituted as such by the Chinese authorities themselves. When {Germans and Russians lost their extraterritorial rights, shortly after the war, their Con cessions were taken under Chinese direction on a. system similar to that provided for the Concession by the Chen-O'Malley Agreement, but the rates coliceted locally were to be spent on the maintenance of the two districts and it was Jelearly Laid down that no change in their constitution could be "without a_ two-thirds vote of the Chinese and ratepayers of the di Not a penny has been id in interest on the debentures of the two ex-Concessions, hough the us tial solemn pledges were given that " this charge would duly be met. But at any rate the districts were able to preserve some control the spending of the rates paid and over the amenities
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.