(Contributed)
It is fo the interest, both moral and material of everyone, that emerge as rapidly as possible from China, a united China, should
the present bandit controlled political chaos in which the country grovels. One enlightened man, Sir Robert Ho Tung, who can think big, and think beyond the interests of the immediate moment has struck the right note for a revival of a sane and peaceful China. He has called for a round-table conference. By so doing he has drawn a distinct line which will differentiate between the internal friends and the interna] enemies of a united ina.
There may be Chinese who, through rightly or wrongly suspecting treachery on the part of real or imaginary enemies, might object to attend a conference but these would be the easiest of all opponents to deal with by placing the nature of the conference above all suspicion, by placing the venue of the conference above all suspicion and by placing conveyance to the conference above all suspicion. If the highly placed_individuals and political or military parties in China so distrust each other, foreigners could without any semblance of interference show the hand of friendly assistance in several ways.
Firstly as to venue. To be successful the spot chosen to hold the conference should be absolutely neutral ground convenient to all and at the same time safe in every respect to all. "There is no place in China which offers for the moment such attractions for a venue as Weihaiwai which though not at the moment under Chinese rule, will, it is hoped, be restored at an early date to a united China. (It has to be restored to China and not to a disrupted part of China). Having the neutral venue, the second item that should be fixed would be neutral conveyance, and here against the friendly assistance (without interference) of foreigners might be invoked. It would be a friendly act to China and to her present warring factions if the various foreign countries offered conveyance on one of their men-of-war from his nearest port to the conference venue for a Tuchun or Super-Tuchun and one secretary only. This would absolutely guard en route against any treachery towards the persons of those attending the conference.
The Customs service which is an absolutely neutral service in China as far as politics are concerned and above the reproach of possible self-interest could readily supply a body of secretaries and stenographers who would ensure bona fide records of the conference. Such secretariat would have no object in any form of treachery.
As the Tuchuns and Super-Tuchuns are men who have reached their positions with no silver spoons in their mouths, they are naturally men of a certain force of character, but unfortunately as they are surrounded by an entourage of satellites not so gifted as themselves but who too often know the word treachery in a)] its meanings andi all its ramifications, every means possible should be used to keep such subordinates out of the conference.
The Tuchuns -and Super-Tuchuns should each be permitted to have one Chinese speaking adviser who could advise them on matters relating to foreign countries and foreign interests in China.
The president of such a conference under ordinary circumstances would be very difficult to find. "Ordinary circumstances" are mentioned advisedly, as the "ordinary circumstances" to-day in China are political and military faction fighting where no individual in the present arena is permitted to stand neutral. Luckily for the Chinese there is one of themselves in China who stands outside the arena and above all faction fighting, a clever, observing. and very sympathetic young man, whom all respect and who would make the most admirable chairman or president of the conference. That young man is the ex-Emperor. By placing him in that responsible position he would! learn much of China not only for his own good but the good of China, and, better still, China and most of all its Tuchunate would learn much of that young man for their good and the country's good.
The Chinese and foreign press in China have a duty placed upon them to further by every means in their power some such conference as that heralded by Sir Robert Ho Tung. They have a* duty to
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.