CANTON, To the Editor of the "Norra-Cuina Dairy News.'
Sir,—May I underline one or two points on which you touch in your very instructive leading article to-day? You rightly say that "it is a grave proposal to moot, that the foreign Powers should withhold from the Government of a country which they recognize revenues [Jike the Customs and Salt Gabelle] which undoubtedly belong to that country."
We point out, however, that Old Hsu's administration in Peking is not a government in any real sense of the term. It has admittedly ceased to discharge the major functions of a governing body; and it is perhaps a question when ther even foreign recognition ought not to be viewed as having lapsed or in the process of lapsing automatically from it. Recognition postulates a de facto ruling force. Peking, under Old Hsu, has ceased to be such a force. And if I were arguing deliberately on the point, I might well press for acceptance of the view that a process of political degradation had reduced Peking to a state in which it ceased
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.