Trenchant Criticism In New Book "The Capital Question of China"
Tun Carteat, Question oF Caixa.—By iond Cus. Macmillan, Londo command authority with their own people Mr, Lionel Curtis ism tyro. summing up Oriental problems. He Inay be called the Father of Ca tutional. Experiments, "He has given the benefits of his ability and Enalytieal skill to South Africa, India, Toland and now Chine. He's a member of the Round Table group Which' produces a most admirable and thoughtful quarterly review. on the affairs of the British Common Wealth. The publication of a book from his pen on Chinese polities 1s therefore mo ordinary event and, as Already noted, his sense of respon bility in tackling China. has com-Delied him to vaente his post as an Dfficor of the Royal Institute of International "Affairs. in order that hho may enter the field of Controversy in stating his convictions.
The book now produced has a title which contoing @ pun. For it will have been gathered that mo small portion of it 1s devoted to discussion the relative value of Nanking fand Peking not so much as capitals Dut as the Headquarters of the re-pretentatives of the foreign Power the subject. is not now, but before discussing that aspect of Mr. Curtis boots, attention should be drawn to the narrative in which he unfolds the development of Chinese velation-this-with the foreign' Powers. who found trade and commerce irre tible magnets for drawing them China, Mr. Curtis has an easy, Iucid style and a great gift for con cise exposition of his story. So the first pare of this book, dealing. in just under" 250 pages' with the istorieal side of the case, is exceptionally valuable. It gives in tabloid form information for Which extended reading in a number of books would ber necessary in order otherwise to
But 'Mr. Curtis will probably" find the picaro which i prevents that his book will be" read with Greater attention on account of the Comment' which ix included in the seond part and which covers under 100 pages. He is firm in his condomnation of the _precipitancy of Japan in Manchuria and Shanghai and he definitely states that the course so adopted will end by demonstrating the fatuity of the gunboat policy, He puts it thu 18 tine must, come when Jo will realive that lashes are Yor a patient suffering from ph even mental debility. "The cours which has led to military operations Tu Manchuria and' Shanghat will end by demonstrating the futility of the gunboat policy, after which some of
AS' Machinvell!' wrote, with: imper-gue wu people are. still hankering.
th, when you go to war with a people, you must be prepared ith destroy them or else. to make friends with them. Experience nce his time has taught us that to govern a conquered people is, in thi fong run, no alternative, In atte ting to govern 'China, Japan. would certainly' end. by dosttoyi if. Tt'ig no more possible to continental people ike China possible to for the future of Japan... and "his further comment' will be applauded: obseation which driven men to action At the root of all tragedy ties an fanarehy is, the China's relations with herself, her oar of a strong government app ini "in China. "in the. long van hana atte of conte do tovmach to help China great. neighbour, No
for natural weaken: hor counsellor. By a change. from coercion to active sympathy Japan can still win her™ way back to friendship "with China. Friendship with China Is of all Japanese interity! the greatest, One must not shriek from nitering platitudes, 20 Tong as the truths they contain ate ignored.
Such a change of outlook as would lead Japan "to apply the remedies which hor own diagnosis. prescribes Will nearcoly be affected by counsefa Offered from abroad. The Japanese people, wilt Tete wisdom, if they fanon it'in time, when" they are taught it by statesmen of their own.
gland and America can, T believe, bya process of political' induction Bring? it about, that the Powers chidly interested in China will adopt the practice of vending to the capital of, that "country. representatives hose estimate of the situation will In addition, aft, Curtis in discussing British" policy in China has some shrewd observations to. make (on the weakness of the official posi tion in its inability to form a really satisfactory point of contact with the British community. in China, Here Mr. Curtis echoes criticisms which have been made from time to time im the "North-China Daily Nowy" If he had stopped there [would perhaps have rendered. great service both to the British Govern: ment and to the British community'
China, Por some reason or other he seems to have been so. obsessed by the question of the location of the British Minister that he has allowed himself to be drawn into an almost vitriolic attack on the person: lity of that Minister. "It seems little inconsistent to dilate on' the inherent weaknesses of the Government of China and at the same time to: condemn the British Government for refusing to burn its boats by removing the Legation from Peking to Nanking. It may well be argued that the Government of China itself tow spread "over two. capitals yang and Nanking, while a good ideal of the time of some of its members is spent in Shanghai, and consultations with Hongkong..and [Canton are not unknown. "Apart altogether from the financial saves Jat stake, it may be " well argued that, "by posting" a Counsellor Nanking and retaining the Legation lat Peking, the British Foreign Office has come'to'n practical solution of the. problem.
There remains the question of contact with the British. community, and there Mr. Curtis? views will receive 'm good deal of support for the reasons already stated. But when hea iegests that" the" real solution lies in the appointment of superman in. the place of the ish Blinister and his elevation to the rank of Ambassador, surely Mr. Curtis Is shutting his eyes to. the facts "The appointment of Lord feading to Washington and the aplutment. of Lord Derby to Par, quote two well-known examples, were appointments made with specific objects in view and for a limited time, "But can it be said thut administrative effleieney_ would secured if the Embassy, ax Me. Curtis 'Would like to have "it, at Nanking were to be filled not By a diplomat, but' by a. brilliant public man?" What "possible. inducement would there be te. such m man to bury himself either in Peking or Nanking? Those who have had. to [consider appointments' for. the. important Governorships of the three indian residencies " of Madras, Bombay and Bengal, know full well Ehat it ie very "often exceedingly ificult to get aman of sufficient calibre for those posts. That say, if tradition had not made customary to go outside the Indi Civil Service for those appointments it would often have been far better to have filled them from the ranks Jof that. service. Up-country, where, lowing to the absence of amenities, it would be still more dificult to Jzct outsiders to fill Govenorships, ithe Government have been able to command the services of brilliant loficials who time and time again have proved themselves far superior to the Presidency Governors. But Mr. idantly more concerned with his disapproval of Sir Miles Lampson than with the elaboration Jof his pet arguments to a logical jand acceptable conclusion. It seems unfortunate that he should allow himself to be carried away like this, because in the last few weeks Sir Miles Lampson has achieved a lomatie success which even his bitterest critics can hardly belittle. But let Mr. Curtis be judged by his lown words in the passage which he puts forth later as vital to. hi solution of the problem of British policy in China:
<The people of England cannot know how they should act in respect of China until they have recognised lof the issues at stake onvinee not merely the Secretary State and the Cabinet, but Pail the public opinion In great matters no:
continuous. unless it is Backed by an interested and instruct
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.