March 20.
Tue first effect of the speech delivered by Mr. Vu Ya-ching at the banquet given by the Council Thursday night is, frankly, unpleasant. The second and abiding one is that it was one! of the best and most welcome, speeches we remember from any. Chinese. It showed an appreciation of the gravity of the situation such as the ordinary citer-dinner oratory would never have conveyed. In no way did it imply any reluctance to cooperate with the Council in there serious matters which are neces sarily causing so much fo us all, Chit eigner. But it did show that effective ce-operation could only come of perfect mutual under standing: and redress at points en which the Chinese feel they are entitled to it, It would have been easy and for the moment, perhaps, more congenial to reply with the usual polite insineer ties. But these would have left a sense of dissatisfaction much worse than the moment ter taste of Mr, Yu's speaking, not like all he said, but it is honest and so provides a basis of action, The Council meant the occasion to be important; they invited as many of the most representative Chinese as the room would hold and they put the case of the future of Shanghai as plainly ax it could be put," The Chines have responded in the best way possible by meeting - frankness h frankness, The result can only he beneficial all round, What is the foundation of all Chinese feeling at the present time? It has been suggested by many writers and speakers but never so clearly shown ax in Mr. Vu Yacching's speech, It is the sense of racial inequality which Chinese encounter as individuals. Curiously enough, they do not meet with this so much abroad. In Europe and America we doubt if they meet it at all. It is only in their own country that it is thrust upon them, This is not a question of the large dealings between Government and Goi ment, nor of the political culties in which China has been labouring since the Manchus went down, but of what the average Chinese gentleman experiences in every-day life. Much has been said of extra te ritoriality and the need polishing it, But we honestly Lelieve that this question means far less to the Chinese ax me dividuals than that on which Mr. Vu dwelt, With the small fo eign communities "up country." extraterritoriality seems to present no difficulty, its existence hardly appears tg be remember= ed. But in those centres not only do Chinese and foreigners mix more easily than in Shang ai and on an equal footing, but the chief magistrate or the military governor Lakes the phiee itt society to which he and his countrymen consider him titled and is treated by foreign Jers as by Chinese with the core-many due to his rank. Extrater= ty ix there behind the scones (0 protect the foreigner from much that his neighbours put up with, but it rarely intrudes to cause loss of Shanghai these And Lis an intolerable nan may to Europe and be received ruler of the land as an honoured xuest, but that in his, own country he cannot be invited into most of the clubs with: to Us convincing, against them it can be the Chinese sentlemen who would be eligible as guests or members would be keener than any fo he to see that only sort" among them were admitted, it, while re-cou changes which the final word did not some other things which wer within the Council's own bowel ile did not say what these were, trust he will do so pri-ough We see no reason secrecy in the matter and indeed strongly been far too much things sub vast and the reely the But one may guess one er which the speake sion of more hai That isa matter ich we imagine
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.