Jan. 7. is much to be regretted, and all orderly Chinese, we are sure, share in that regret, that those who have made themselves sponsors for the movement for Chinese - representation on the Council, have chosen this moment to renew their agitation. The issue was thoroughly threshed out last August, and the agitators cannot justly pretend that they were either unreasonably dealt with or left in any doubt as to the exact bearing of the whole question. Representation on the Council, it was shown, is not in the Council's power to grant: that must be decided by agreement between China and the Treaty Powers, by whom, as we think the agitators must be aware, discussion of the desired reform has already been begun. Meanwhile the Council proposed that any financial question interesting the Chinese should be debated by the Finance Committee and a representative Chinese committee; and it further invited the Chinese leaders to draft and submit their views on the future government of Shanghai. This point is to be emphasized because a great complaint by the agitators to-day, 80 we are informed, is that the Council declines to meet them.
That is, to put it mildly, an entire misconception of the Council's attitude. It was a grievance last June that the Council would not accept the help of students in keeping order, as it naturally would not do. To refuse to permit any division of its responsibility in a time of tumult is one thing. But to refuse to listen to representations by Chinese ratepayers is quite another affair, and what the Council would never dream of doing.
The agitators would appear to have devoted their energies, since the August controversy, less to thinking out any new scheme of government for Shanghai, than to the perfecting of an organization with which to intimidate the Council. Woe regret to have to use such a term, but the manner in which they appear to shift their ground from day to day and,-above all, their choosing this precise - moment when payment of quarterly rates is due
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.