5 Deo. 18, The messages to certain Chinese newspapers regarding the Government's propose arrangements for the abolition of Extraterritoriality cannot be dismissed with a shrug of th: shoulders, i ttled inten-whether they merely assist in the operation known as sending out a ballan dossal, the importance of the issues involy ed: commands attention to the categorical assertion that the Chinese Government are determined to abolish extraterritorial ity "at the beginning of next year." Unless the papers in question have given an exeeed-ingly misleading view of the Government's attitude, it would seem. that the Foreign Ministry at Nanking takes the line that there has been a deliberately Fabian policy "operating Whitehall and Washington, that further diplomatic discussions would be merely assisting those delaying tactics and that therefore the only possible course is to take action in disregard of Treaty obligations. It will be observed that there is a sugges: tion that the Foreigner's inst fences on Extraterritoriality betrays an unreasonable desire to flaunt that special right and constitutes plain evidence of a lack of goodwill towards China, There is no attention given to the defects in Chinese adminis tration of justice which hai tedly, inspired the Fo to cling to the safeguard ving his residence all possible, Nor fi it be maintained for one moment that the proposed appointment of foreign legal advisers, carefully deprived of any. effective power, and the other features of the so-called chemo for the replacement of consular jurisdiction provide any form of substitute for that safeguard.
The interview given by Mr. Sun Fo to one of the Chinese journalists reveals a frankness which will be appreciated, Mr. Sun Fo wastes no time in ending that there is any at-empt to meet the requirements, aid down by Sir Miles Lampson m August 10, 1929:
"It appears... necessary that 'Western: legal " principles' should "be understood and be found acceptable by the people at large, tne less than by their rulers, ana that the Courts which administer these Iaws should be free from interference and dictation at the hands, not only of military. chiefs, but of groups and associa-ions iwito either set up arbitrary and illegal tribunals of their own attempt to use Tegal courts for the furtherance of political objects rather than for—the! administration of equal justice atween Chinese and Chinese and.botween Chinese and foreigners. Not until these conditions are ful fled in a far greater measure than appears to be the case today will it be practicable for British merchants to reside, trade and own property throughout the territories of China with the same equality of freedom and safety as these privileges are accortied to Chinese merchants in Great Britain." consider how far the condiomagrave altered since those ABB were written would -be embarrassing to Mr. Sun Fo and is colleagues. Indeed the re ord of the Special Court set up Shanghai as the result of. the sreement of February last, does not encourage the belief that the habit of executive inter ference with judicial decisions has been abandoned. Tt would moreover be illuminating to know to what extent lawyers are advising their Foreig2 clients to avoid recourse to that Court in civil actions for reasons Well understood. Mr. Sun Fo Sagely ventures into none of those awkward questions. He stands out boldly as an opportunist—or is the epithet too prosaic? In effect he says:
Foreign Powers are deeply concerned with the unemployment problem in their respective countries. They cannot afford to be squeamish. They are anxious to obtain in China a market for their surplus goods; for that market they are prepared to pay any price even to the extent of surrendering vital protection.
Therefore, if China puts upo scheme of reconstruction, it is likely to be accepted without question, if only to avoid the ill-will in which - continuance of extraterritoriality involves foreigners, There seems to be undue confidence here in the value of the benefits to be secured from trade with China under conditions implied in the proposed scheme for the abolition of consular Jurisdiction. The spokesmen of the Chinese Government will surely admit that "there is no more perversity on the part of the foreigner in clinging to his safeguards—especially in the light of the recent experiences of Mr. Goldstein and others—than among the Chinese themselves in maintaining that those safeguards as at present framed constitute an indictment of Chinese administrative methods would seem that Mr. Sun Fo and those who are of his way of thinking have not proceeded far enough in their realist researches. The advantages of the Presence of the foreign trader in China are not all on one side. There may still be some virtue in diplomatic treatment of the points at sue although, of be recalled that, in theory, extraterritoriality was abolished by unilateral declaration of China, as from January 1, 1930 last. With many of Dr. C. T. Wang's opinions foreigners may at times find themselves out of agreement. They cannot however be accused of failing to appreciate his mastery of the art of diplomacy, It would be a confession of distrust in his ability if the Government, of which he is, a distinguished ornament, lost patience and decided in effect to use the big stick of a manifesto to establish an accomplished fact in defiance of diplomatic efforts. Not that the use of a big stick is necessarily to be condemned—it may, be abundantly justified. The Justification however can come from one factor and one factor only—its efficacy, Can Nanking be sure that that factor is likely to assert itself? The answer seems to be doubtful to say the least. When Dr. Wang has succeeded in creating between himself and foreign diplomats such a firm bond of respect and lively admiration he probably, will find it more profitable, if less exciting, to adhere to tha humdrum method of threshing out this very dificult -and delicate problem. Short, cuts are notoriously dangerous: the circuitous route of diplomatic discussion may often prove to, give speedier access to the goal than some spectacular cross-country crows-flight in the shape of manifestoes or unilateral declarations, A coos of the Chinese Eastern Railway was derailed near the Khingan Shan region (north Manchuria) last Thursday. Da done to the cargo and the cars is estimated at over $300,000, says the Chinese press,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.