Washington, Feb. 4. to-day by Senator El An important stotment war mads Swanson, ranking Demoeral of the Foreign Rel mittee, with reference to the latest British gestures regarding extraterleges enjoyed by foreigners in China. Senator Swanson_said:—"The American position, as understand it, not only demands that China establish competent courts, but also that these courts be present in sufficient number as to handle business matters and other matters arising in China rapidly.
"When this is accomplished. America will be willing to surrender y extraterritoriality.
Some important changes Chinese courts have recently been made toward modernizing them to the point where they can be trusted to render decisions in foreign cases.
"This development is highly commendable. But such competent courts are so few that turning over everything to their jurisdicti would be a complete denial of justice, because the number of eases assigned would be so. great that Sometimes a year would elapse before a decision could be reached.
"There "is nothing in the belief, so often expressed regarding extuaterritoriality, that extraterritori. al rights were obtained by force and terror.
"The United States rights are based upon old-established treaties, under which our citizens proceeded to China and invested their energies and capital there.
"It is only just that those people should not be forced to surrender their selves and property until China has established a sufficient number of competent courts to provide for safeguarding their interests.
"Therefore the date for American relinquishment of extraterritorial privileges in China tlepends entirely upon China herself—United Press.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.