The injustice of the laws is mani fested by the fact that when a debtor was unable to pay what be owed, he could be imprisoned and kept in prison as long as he lived, if he did not pay the debt. before he died. If the debtor could not be found. his father, brothers or uncles, as well as immediate family could also be arrested and prisoned until the debt was paid That is one feature of the injustice of the civil branch of Chinese law.
A cruel feature of the criminal branch is seen in the case of Admiral Ting; during the, war tween China and Japan the Admiral was forced, by the fortunes of war, to surrender Weihaiwei, but rather than surrender he committed suicide. thus technically dying before surrendering. The Admiral did not commit suicide in any disregard of life, but he knew that if he surren: ed a imperial fortress, net only would he, by the laws of his coun try, be decapitated. but his father. mother, sons and daughters would be beheaded and the property of all contisentedd. To the outside world the ruling motive of the Admiral was, probably, not understood although in truth the cruel feeling laws of China moved the courageous act te so family from a barbarous Unfortunately for China, h n but little pri provement in the laws and their admit m since she first heard at her gates. If China nee, because of extra not to for: rnsequence of her The Original fr
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.