The upshot of it all is that while the highest Chinese authorities remaining in the north fire on the very verge of admitting that there is no Government in China and no possibility of creating one, the diplomatic agents of the Powers are on the verge of confessing that there is no Occidental China policy and no chance of shaping one.
If these confessions were outspoken and were mutually exchanged without reserve there might be much hope for this country and for foreign interests in China.
Such an exchange of-confessions would imply a withdrawal. of recognition on the part of the diplomats from a Giverament which has, in the sight of all* classes of Chinese, already ceased to exist. 1t would imply that no loans or contracts between foreigners and Chinese from this time forth would be in any sense valid and that, therefore, the Chinese people would henceforth be protected against impositions while the Legations would he released from the need of supporting scurrilous bargains.
uch 2 confession.would liply that, since the Powers at Home were averse to. ext to their agents here further authority, further power to control, further sanctions" in other words, the Legations with the-backing of public opinion in China, would have to depend upon the strict enforcement, of existing treaty stipulations for the protection of foreign trade. It: would mean that, thrown upon our own. sources, we should have to take survey of such resources as we have and such legitimate claims as we have established, and insist upon these being executed to the last word.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.