"The New York Times" of September 18 writes While no public statement has been issued by the Chinese Nationalist Government, authentic reports from Nanking confirm the report that determined to abolish extraterritoriality by Jan. 1, 1930, regardless of the outcome of the Regotiations now in progress or ending. While this may be a move designed to force the matter again to the attention of the there have been many extraterritorial privileges the Chie nese Government would take them away a8 soon as it feels strong enough to "get away with it"
China's diplomatic credit is already low: that an added violation of trerities would not much impai ing to the default on governme: bunds and the seizure of revenues dues, her fina credit is equally poor. ment to foreign powers might, ever, be considerable. Exper has shown that protests fled the Nanking Government are fut There would be no diplomatic redress for such a disregard of existe ing treaties as the Chinese now contemplate, The presumption is that protests about individual sufferers would likewise go unheeded, The mere changing of labels attached to cavernment agencies has not brought Jabout the needed reforms in the administration of Chinese justice, Even with the best will in the world the Nanking Government is not strong enough, outside of a few eerie tres, to protect foreigners deprived of their extraterritorial vights.
It is difficult to seo that China would gain enough through sat ying her pride to offset the ill will which she is sure to win from all who have relations with that country, Not even the mgst ferrid advocate of the Chinese Nationalists has beer able to show that extraterritoriality in any way harms the Chie nese people. Yet many well-meaning. Persons in this country have formed the opinion that it is directly responsible for most of China's ills and that it was violently imposed by foreigners, But the trac reason why foreign nations, including the United States and Great Britain, have declined to" give it up is be: cause China has been unable to modernize her. courts and her administration of justice so that foreigners may obtain as fair trent ment is China ax they. would in other civilized countries, If a stigma attaches to the perpetuation of exraterritoriality, it is not. because it handicaps the Chinese but because it is a symbol of China's failure to effect much needed and oft-heralded reforms. The nations will gladly relinquish extraterritoriality as soon 'a8 China in able to do her part.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.