But all such promises are cot ditional: China must. perform Liber part of the obligations before we, can yield onto fraction of existing Treaty rights. Unfors tunately the Chinese de net seem to realize thie. They cccon have Siworted the ides from: the Washingion Centerence that enough: But what of the future? That is the worst feature of all Ineausr frankly we enn seo 0 daylight. One can hardly conceive a country less adapted to wha, the West means bya Republic or even a democratic form Government." Can Chinn earn deeper shame. politically than her first and last parliament brought Wert Contd anything be. Yes of an election than fle election of her present President? True. if he can unify country and establish an effective Government the method of his election matters little, Bub what of China'e Constivution? As a Republic she has already become a farce: and yet she seems too vast to be dominated under modern by a single autocrat.
Tue wise course.
We hold ihat China would be advised to invite on her own ive some measure of for-ign advice and assistance in the loment of her most difficult prebiews and this she could well do without any infringement of her sovereign rights, without any deregazion of her national digni But official jealousies and official greed leave little hope of. any such solution, destroy' indeed even the desire for efficient or honest administration of government. And so China mus be allowed to work out her own Yolitical salvation in" her own way. Bat it envisages the- prob ability of yeara, perhaps of tens Mr. Barton sketched the history of treaty settle with Chin % parallel dot fate and the situation treatir stand at the present time, He emphasized that amongst the helpful lessons with, which _th: s parallelism, furnished Britis merchants to-lay were the neces: sity for "peeing necessity for o-oper He pointed out that if the dexter of] danger snd difficulty in which many matters stood to-day a peared to he greater thai greater also and very much more efficient were our organization and our means of ascertaining the opinion of all engaged in 3 trade and of communicating those opinions to. Tagation. Ho thought that it. was precisely! because "the Chambers' Annual Conferences. strengthened British organization that, they wore portant and should continue, He regretted that soum of the Caan bers, more particularly: Hongkong, Thad' nat found it possible to sem dlelegaten. 'The resolutions. which Hongkong had on the agenila were in exceedingly capable hands, but lip thought it parti cularly important that. Honskong Should be directly represented at these Conferences as' there so" many" issites" on' which © the views of Hoagkong would ePelloptng aE: Rapti 3 Bedle aeat Chinmaistall lowing Mi. Tirto, Ins:
Gounsellof' at Tisghtion, hades the Conference. places on record ite strong Satisfaction with) the persistent obstruction by ithe Hupeh Pro-nem) authorities, jo preventing Torrign merchants from exerts the rights granted to. them ner the Tnland Waters Navigar tion rights which Fave een explicitly admitted—within the last few months by the Bowral of Communientions and the Wai Chiaopu: and it urges the foreign presentatives to continue to ton the Central nmenit ing the necessary measures to compliance with the int rix by the Provinciat authorities concerned.""
Pinacy.
"Phot in the opinion of this Confermee the numerous piractos that have taken place in, Far astern waters, and the inability of any Government, in China. ta deal with the situation, calls for, mediate action on the pare of the foreign Powers. The Conference urges H. M. Government to make arrangements with the proper Chines authorities where by, immediately a piracy is ported, tive measures may taken against the pirates by M, Navy in the local they have landed. Furthe Ca inference strongly. advocates' increase in, the number of, navat vessels available for patrol work, especially in the- Canton Delta, ahd aidighbouring waters, where. Hrdqulcht and Sudedssful'piraci clearly' inditatis that the exiati patrols ars inadequate,"
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.