The peace terms which, it is reported, Mr. Hsu Shih-ying. the Chinese ambassador to Japan, is bringing with him in the Empress of Asia include the adherence of China to the anti-Comintern pact; economic ce-operation with Japan, and China's agreement to give preference to Japanese in the employment of technical experts and advisers; the withdrawal of Japanese troops with the exception of those in Tientsin, Peiping, Charhar. end Suiyuam after China's adherence to the anti-Comintern pact; and the right of Japan to nominate Chinese mayors for Shanghai, Tsingtao, Peiping. and Tientsin, If the commitments into which China has been forced as a result of Japanese egression are not taken into account, the terms appear to be reasonable enough. But it is to be doubted whether. at this stage in the proceedings, the Chinese government could possibly accept them, whether it wanted to or not. In the first place the stationing of Japanese troops in Charhar and Suiyuan would be a direct violation of the Chinese stipulation that this country's sovereignty must be respected. In the second, the stationing of such troops might easily be interpreted as a gesture inimical to a friendly power. And in the third place, any interference with China's right to appoint mayors of its own choosing to the control of any large city in this country cannot be to-lorated. With feeling in China as intense as it is, these terms are hardly likely to be acceptable, even though the difficulties of government in the interior in the present circumstances are recognized. The terms do, however. leave an opening for China to make peace with honour, and it is to be hoped that they will not be rejected without very careful consideration.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.