Oct.
We publish to-day an extremely interesting analysis by Mr. Rodney Gilbert of the general attitude of Peking,—Chinese, Russian and especially foreign,—towards the breaking off of relations with Prince Koudacheff and the trampling on the Russian people's treaty rights in China, It has, we believe, long ago been recognized our readers that Mr. Gilbert is not the sort of correspondent who merely hashes up what the local newspapers repeat and that his sources of information are considerably better than the mere tittle-tattle lof clubs; also, that he writes with an exceptionally strong sense of responsibility. Consequently, we are bound to accept his presentation of foreign thought in Peking towards this vital question as substantially correct, amazing as it is.
The only possible conclusion we can come to is that foreign opinion in Peking—we must regretfully include Legation Quarter—is even more out of touch with foreign opinion in the rest of China than it usually is. Excepting among the French and Japanese} there appears no evidence whatever of any really far-sighted perception of the enormous consequences for evil with which China's action is fraught, no ability to rise above the pettiest consideration of what is momentarily convenient or inconvenient. If we read Mr. Gilbert aright, it appears to be thought that China is within her rights, at any rate not far from them, in calmly stealing Russian extraterritoriality. The Waichiaopu has promised (verbally or in writing is not stated, nor does it really matter) that Russians shall be properly treated; and of course what the Waichiaopu promises must be believed. The only problem, we are told, is "'how to protect foreign interest without infringing upon China's right." Tt does not seem to occur to anyone (except French and Japanese) that there can be no security for any foreign interest, if China is allowed to be false to her treaty obligations to the Russian people just because they are for the moment unable to defend themselves; and that if she is false in this great respect, she will not bother herself to be true to
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.