,|are grounds for thinking that this represents the Government's considered view.
It will be remembered that the replies sent by the Powers to Dr. C. T. Wang's Note of April 27 were quite explicit. Friendly and sympathetic as they were in tone, they made no secret of their conviction that the time had not yet come for the aboli-extraterritoriality: and they gave their reasons accordingly. Only one of Dr. Wang's further Notes of September 5, that to America, has been published. Its demand was put it terms of sentiment rather than sasan; and it must frankly be said that nothing has happened ice April to induce the Powers to alter an opinion which they certainly did not arrive at without mature reflection. From China's point of view the important part of all the Powers' replies was the suggestion they made for negotiations to evolve a scheme of gradual extinction of consular jurisdiction, Apparently"this method of procedure is reiterated in the latest answers from the British and American Governments, and it may be assumed that other Treaty Powers would follow the course readily enough. The basis on which negotiation might proceed is defined in the first American Note; extraterritoriality might go first in certain areas or for certain cases, concurrently with "the enactment and effective enforcement" by China "of laws based on modern concepts of jurisprud-
The strangest argument for proceeding gradually is that extraterritoriality is not a thing which can be wiped out by a strake of the pen without hardship to individuals and, actually, very serious inconvenience to China. Under its shadow large interests and activities have grown up, the future position of which, when extraterritorial goes, will need minute consideration and definition, shipping, the business of insurance companies, banking in all its activities, and the right of foreign banks to issue note: each of these presents its own problem. We readily understand that China desires to do for herself, and will ultimately dv, all the work now done by these foreign undertakings. But it is no dis compliment to say that she not yet in a position to take up the mantle as it falls from them, and that any too hasty action might do the most serious injury to the commerce of China by depriving it of conveniences which have become indispensable to it. It need hardly be added that abolition of extraterritoriality necessarily includes whole future status of Shanghai, truly a world problem, which, we are convinced, responsib!3 Chinese are as little inclined as foreigners are to tackle in a hurry.
It is probably their conscious: ness of the many ramifications of the whole question which has led the extreme party to dedo that the only practical course to cut the Gordian knot by simply declaring extraterrito1 ality aten end. And this course appears to have found favour in one or two isterial utterances, But China is not the only country in which Ministers' speeches are sometimes at variance with the policy ultimately followed. We have never believed that China would take the extreme course of abrogating extraterritoriality at the end of this year. If she really meant to do that, why should she-now be proceeding to discuss, with representatives of the Diplomatic Body, the future of the Provisional Court?' Why waste time talking about one aspect of consular jurisdiction; if it ie all to be obliterated in a few weeks? China is no doubt aware that the Powers would searcely go war to enforce extraterritoriality, if she declared it abolished; but there are other ways in which the offence they. would assuredly feel in such action ea her part could be effectually shown, There is, however, no question of threatening. Indeed the Powers have sufficiently proved that they desire to be friendly, and to meet China's wishes as speedily as possible; but they also desire to consider those wishes in a practical light and have set out their: ideas as to how this might be done. That also we believe to be Nanking's view of the situation. The statement given to Reuter is undoubtedly meant to indicate that spirit of reasonableness in which the Chinese are seldom, if ever, appealed to in vain, and which will certainly find a ready response on the foreign side.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.