Alleged Foreign Nullification of Chinese Authority Unserupulous Guarded by Armed Force Washington, Apr. 8.
Foreign text its factory operators, particularly Japanese, employing 26 por cent. of all Chinese textile factory Workers in extraterritorial areas, depress working conditions. througn= out China, Mr. Chu Shu-fan, Chinese workers' delegate to tha. Textile Con: ference, said lire fo-day. Sea fnetories are not subject to Chinese 'oF foreign laws, and pay an average wage of eighteen cents for an leven hour working clay, Mr. Chu told the conference, "This is unfair practice in every sense of the word," he declared. Chinese factories are unable to. im= prove working conditions because of the foregoing. situation, he sai Mr, ZT, Ing, Chinese delegate to the World Aenouneed elgn_nationalities......who smuggle their goods into China under the protection of an armed force, with the connivance of their own overnment authorities."
Continuing his reference to foreign nultifeation of Chinese authority, Mtr. Tug declared, "Iam sorry to say' that there are sull nationals of several countries who enjoy the privilege of extraterritoriality in China and have caused the authorities in the Seltte= ments, and Coneessions 10 evade and override Chinese laws, preventing them from being enforced: and there= by creating an unfair basis of competition, Mr. Ing added that the Chinese market hod been a bone of contention among Industrial nations for "In certain eases," he said, "the Chinese Government has, not been entirely free to adjust its tariff rates order to. protect its Infant indus {rles. Foreign countries have taken advantage of this situation by dumping thelt surplus products on the Chinese markets.
Adding that China had Yost uneolceted duties ata rate of more than $1,000,000 a week as a result of recent ssmugifling. the Chinese delegate declared, "when foreign smugglers tu China are protected by foreign guns, all legitimate business iz bound to fail, "Tt fg on issue of right against might, Jaw against anarchy, merchants against pirates.
hina has a programme for improving industrial conditions, but Is prevented from carrying it" out. China can be a greater purchaser, Dut its purchasing power cannot be Geveloped because of foreign exploitation."
China, "Mir, Ing asserted, "desires an open door for all, but foreign fare Keeping it shut, even to China." "The Chinese "Government, he declared, has done everything within ils power to ce-operate with ether" nations to solve industrial problems.
'An "alarming number of foreign' troops" In China. hie said, was constanly Interfering with the -govern= ment, 'Mr. Arthur Deakin, British workers' delegate to the conference, con tended that the Japanese shoutd provide information regarding the work-Ing hours, by the day and week, of the Japanese rayon industries.
Meanwhile, the "French workers' delegate.-M. Marzeau de Lobelle, opposed the "suggestion that Asiatic workers be granted hour and wage exceptions, in the effort to. stabilize the Industry on 9 world-wide basi provided the Asiatic mills partially conform to the proposed. forty-hour The Far Eastern industrial plants, do Lobelle said, had already fatled to conform to the 48-hour week provision adopted Internationally cighteen years ago.
President Roosevelt, at an informa White House tea for delegates of the' conference, who are. seeking the forly-hour week, to-day assured them that they were' proceeding Inthe: direction of better social conditions, "The millennium will not come next year or in the next twenty years, but you are proceeding along the proper Hines," he said.
Japan "Sweat Shops" Denounced
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.