The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-11-26
CHINESE DELEGATE
ASKS POWERS FOR
TARIFF AUTONOMY
Deplores Foreign Control
Enforced at "Gun's
= MuzZle."

/ The secretary general to the
Chinese delegation in Washington
yesterday made public an exhaus-
tive statement on the condition Of
the Chinese government and its
financial difficulties and an appeal
for tariff autonomy. by which it
was stated the government would
be enabled to meet all of its in
ternational obligations.
The statement was signed by p.
X. c. Tyau. the secretary general,
and said in part:
why 10 the Chinese central gov
ernment poor and powerless? The
answer is simple. Because the for
eign nations now hold the govern
ment of China bound up by uni
lateral treaty obligations, literally
forced upon her at the guns mus-
zle. under conditions in China and
under former foreign policies of the
countries here assembled which
have long since changed for the
better.
At Mercy of Fsneisners.
Trough treaty restrictions,
China is and has been for years
afflicted by a tariff of the for
c:gner. by the foreigner and for
the foreigner China's customs are
really controlled by a tariff for the
foreigner only Foreigners decide
what the tariff shall be. 1t is
nominally. though not actually, S
per cent. 1t is collected under for
eign supervision. The funds are
deposited in foreign banks. The
first and main charge against the
funds is the payment OF foreign
obligations. The surplus is then
| released.
"Otler sources OF national reye-
nue., such as the salt monopoly, are
likewise Observation-Disclosures in
virtually the same manner.
Naturally the Pekin government
Is in an almost chronic state of fin
ancial embarrassment, and II is also
natural that those members of the
Pekin government who are held per-
sonally responsible for the immediat te
providing Of funds should yield to the
temptation to borrow at usurious rates
from those foreign governments that
are willing to provide funds.
Begin With Opium War.
The first Of China's treaty obliga-
tions which began to deprive her of
the right Of control over her own GUS
toms was forced upon her in Article
X OF the treaty Of Nanking in 1912,
which terminated what is usually
called the Opium War with Great
Britain. when China agreed to es-
tablish at all ports open to trade. a
fair and regular tariff of export and
import customs and other dues,
which tariff shall be publicly notified
and promulgated for general infor-
nation.
This war arose over a long and
bitter dispute between the Pekin gov
ernment and the British over the i'm
portation of opium into China, and the
casus belli was the seizure and de-
struction by the Chinese, on Chinese
soil, Of large quantity Of opium
belonging to British merchants. AL
though other nations made separate
treaties with China. the work or
privilege Of revising China's tariff
was left to the English, because their
trade was the largest.
Those foreigners who selfishly
support the present stringent treaty
regulations regarding China's tariff
constantly attempt to make them ap-
pear as the result Of the Boxer
troubles. as they do with other wrongs
which China Is seeking to have
righted. The action of the Germans
in Shantung is good example. Ger
many seized Kiaochow, in Shantung,
November II. 1897. Tha pretext she
used was that two German mission
aries were killed in the province by
robbers.
"on March s, Of the followiH B year,