April 28.
Tue settlement of the gold franc issue assures the calling of the conference for the revision lof China's Customs tariff in acleordance with the provisions of ithe Washington Agreement, As soon as France ratifies. the Washington treaties, the tariff leon ference automatically comes into existence, meeting in China three months after the date of ratification. It is only natural that many questions should come before such a conference, for not only will the Powers be ask-led to agree to an increase in the Customs duties, but they will undoubtedly ask China to rectify Jcertain breaches of the present treaties, which have taken place during the past three or four' years, owing, it is admitted, to the disorders in the country. movement of goods by their exportionate taxation. 'The' pte: has been in the habit of calling attention to the illegal and dishonest taxation of Kuangtung, but it is only fair to point to the fact that the situation is the same throughout the country, every militarist and every group lof politicians trying to keep themselves in power through illicit taxation.
Now, illegal taxation in most is an internal matter, ly leads to the hor-of revolution when the people weary of being mistreated by tyrannous rulers, In China, however, the situation is seri ly complicated by a body of treaties, solemnly written and signed by the Chinese Government, in which the pledge is made that foreign goods enter-or leaving the country shalt taxed in a designated manner. Whether, as some Chinese contend, the treaties are unilateral in their benefits is a matter which is subject to adjustment as soon as China is able to have her treaty relations with other nations revised. But treaties cannot successfully be revised by one side encouraging and countenancing breaches of existing treaties. 'The whimsical impairment of treaties by individual governors scattered throughout the provinces, the admitted inability of the' Government signatory to the treaties to enforce their provisions, the inability of a government to unify the country in support of its authority, naturally leads the amenable to reason, and that|year, the Powers will be com-|#med peace; military chieftain) This conference, for instance, is the real mischief-makers are the|pelled to act. riff-raff pared milit striving to augment the force at free? each|to pave the way of likin, which implies for the speedy Talitieal factionaries who hang TRE alternative, often pressed for in these columns, about the Tuchuns' courts, those that they should combine in "rats and foxes" who from time inviting the various leaders in immemorial have been China's China—themselve not men-of bane and whom she has never delegates—to a conference yet learned to keep under control. requires nothing but a frank But at any rate the "sympathy recognition of things as they of Mr. Mackay's closing sent-jate and a steady determination ences not only helps to soften [to allow no subtle Chinese atthe asperity of his previous com-tempts to drive a wedge between ment but shows that his bitter-[them in their efforts to set matness over China's present state ters right.
Such an effort could springs, as with the vast ma-be made now without any susjority of foreigners, from the picnic ion of intervention or othe truest regard for her. ugly motive and we are ssu The summary of the condition it would have the approval and to which China's railways have moral backing of the business been reduced by the military, section in China to whom Mr. particularly since last autumn's Mackay appeals. wars, is most graphic and telling.
Perhaps the worst feature of the evil is that nobody outside
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.