March 17.
Appropriately enough Sir Hughe Knatehbull-Hugessen took the casion of his visit to Hankow to define the principles of Sino-British relationships. The British _community in Hankow has shown considerable foresight and adaptability in using what once was regarded an almost desperate situation to develop satisfactory ce-operation with Chinese authority on the lines of practical goodwill. Therein His Excellency found his natural text in examining the Issues with which British and Chinese interests are mutually concerned. He is on his way to Canton whither his journey takes a British Ambassador for the first time by direct railway com~ munication from—Hankow—an achievement which has been made possible by the joint efforts of Chinese administrators and ongineers and British ce-operation through the Boxer Indemnity Funds, Mr, W. Bowling, as Chair man of the Hankow British Cham. ber of Commerce, was impelled, as in duty bound, to take the rare occasion of the presence of the chiot representative of Majesty's Government to unburden his mind of the perplext~ ties which wore, in the Chamber's opinion, clogging the wheels of progress. Sir Hughe gave sympathetic Attention to the plaint and made pointed reference to the responsibilities of his Government for the protection of Brilish subjects and British rights from unfair diserimination, He specifically noted the danger of trade monopolies, especi~ ally those which, by operating to the prejudice of well-established industrial undertakings, exposed China to real toss in inciting com~ petition abroad, In particular the wood-all industry, as these columns have lately testified and as Sir Hughe confirmed, is in this danger to which the Chinese Government's attention, it is hoped, has been effectively called. Nor was the Ambassador loss emphatic in assuring the Chamber of the Embassy's good offices in regard to the delays in legal processes and Court, decisions on rent eases which have so sadly affected the Muidity of mortgages as instruments of security.
In thus giving an earnest "of his Government's readiness to uphold Brilish rights the British Ambassador boldly reminded the Hankow merchants of their community's own responsibilities for constructive effort in cementing Sino-British cord. The rapid and remarkable] changes in the Chinese scone of recent years cannot be ignored, east of all by British opinion which has generated marked sympathy and moral support of the advances made, The greater trust imposed in the Chinese Government by the people of this country, the evidence of its improved control of the administration and the spirit firmer self-confidence in Nanking are portents to be welcomed. They may necessarily produce diffeulties from the very rapidity of the transformation which cannot immediately make itself felt in every branch of administrative and public life, Old habits die hard, old customs are persistent, but on that account alone it is important that the Foreigner in China should specially guard himself against a tendency to overlook the changes ise of his own Tong inurement to the disabilities which they should in due course remove. Sir Hughe! put the point well when he said:
Our position. in China, taking the longest. view of the question, will be belter served on the basis of mutual sympathy and goodwill than on that of stipulations and agree ments drawn up many years ago in circumstances very different from those of to-day.
Practical goodwill in developing. that attitude should prove effective in clearing doubts which legitimately afflict the mind of the otherwise hopeful observer of current events.
The adjustment of view cannot! be one-sided. That is apparent! from the insistence with which Sir; Hughe pressed for Chinese recognition of the position of British commerce in this country. It is natural that each parly should be inclined be stronger in asserting its rights than discerning the rights of the ce other, That is where the influence of frank understanding and patient tolerance can find its best express sion. It will be realized that traditional modes of procedure, formulated to meet certain well-defined conditions of the past, cannot be incontinently abandoned or revised. Nor Is it unreasonable to prefer reliance on safeguards which seemed to be good at one time and may still appear to be essential when guarantees of the new order have! yet to be firmly created. Nevertheless both sides have to submit themselves to the inevitable opera~ tion of the changed influences, emerging from the developments now making themselves felt in so. many directions, 'The obligation is not without its' diMeulties, but it has also its potential compensations. in the wider opportunity which may eventually be evolved from equality of status and mutuality of effort. This approach to the serious issues which the Hankow Chamber so properly. brought to the Ambassador's notice Is worthy' of careful consideration. Tt demands, admittedly, a. broader Vision and a greater sense of statesmanship. than earlier and. more restricted phases of the relations between the two countries could have been fairly asked to vouchsafe. "All over' the world to-day solution of the problems confront-Ing Governments and nations cannot be successfully attempted unless courage is ready to respond to the fall of goodwill. There is avast fimterence between "living. dangerously" and progressing fearlessly. The one is essentially a selfish and self-centred braggadocio; the other ministers to the basle principles of Ca-operation by taking due regard for the community of interest the enterprise accepted. Risks may be halved and benefits shared, fand the resultant experience confirms practical goodwill as the governing principle of the relationships
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.