I should like, however, to go on to a still further any very pointed "experience" that confirms me in opinions which are directly—contradictory to those expressed in the message of the National Anti-Opium Association. They assert that dishonest foreign smugglers would be more efficiently dealt with if exftraterritoriality were abolished.
One day H. B. M. Consul at Changsha was completely taken aback by request' which gave him a unique "ex. perience." A British "subject? whose dark skin proclaimed his Indian origin appeared at the Conculate to ask protection against what he styled as the unjust action of the Commissioner of Customs at Yochow. On his own statement, this Indo-Anglian- had purchased "goods" either in the southwest of' Hunan or in the adjoining province and had conveyed them all through Hunan itself. As he came te each militarist area, he had duly paid "the tax" demanded by the official in charge and his "goods" bore the official receipt... And now the Commissioner of Customs at Yochow had positively committed the outrage of confiscating "the goods." Would H. M. Consul kindly protect his fellow-national by sending a despatch to the Commissioner directing him to restore the confiscated "goods"? What H. M. Consul did do was to inform his fellow-national that he was a rascal. The Consul hesitated on such a naive self-accusation to add to the confiscation so properly made by the Commissioner of Customs, the heavy fine the lawbreaker deserved, but he warned him that fined or imprisoned he would it he tarried in the Consular District of Hunan an hour beyond the possibility' of a return to. the re-sions from which he had come.
Those Who Judge Justly Now here is a very pertinent example of what extraterritoriality really means. The vocal members of the Chinese community seem to think that extraterritoriality means that foreigners are not only not under Chinese Inw but that they are under no other kind of law. This is altogether a mistake. Extraterritoriality means that all who enjoy its privileges are under the administration of the laws of their.own land which are very strict in their condemnation of smuggling. The only immunity any irish citizen can gain if he at tempts to smuggle either arms or opium arises solely from non-prosecution. It it not part of the duty of H. B. M. judges and consuls to undertake the task of policing, detecting or prosecuting Bri ish' citizens if they are dishonest, attempt to rob and steal, or to smuggle opium. Their duty is to judge justly every alleged. breach of British Jaw, brought against any national by a' properly constituted tiff.
I challenge any man to give such Mapter and verse, T have given in. this to thow that any British consul has ever received a bribe, or has ever justly favoured a British defer in any action brought to the Consul for trial in his Consulate. man. who knows the actions of administrators of Chine who will assert that it is easi-10 obtain the banishment of trans-grossers of Chinese law in a Chin-ce court than it is of a British defendant in a British court is lying proper English most distinctly any dishonest eign smuggler can square Chinese administrator of Chinese Taw and cannot square a. British administrator of Britigh law.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.