The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1921-12-09

China and to bring relations with
China into that normal course of
policy which regulates the rela,
tions between civilized states. He
was not sure, however, that Mr..
Koo's method was the best means
of achieving this. One OF the most
important passages in Mr.. Koo's
speech had referred to spheres of
influence. So far as Great Britain
was concerned. spheres of interest,"
were a thing of the past. The
British government had not the
slightest wish to prolong a situa-
tion which. so far as they were
concerned, had been explicitly aban-
doned.
A better way of dealing with the
matter was to make clear what had
already been implicitly, II not ex-
plicitly. indicated. namely. to de-
clare that no one wished to per-
petuate either the system of spheres
of interest or the international I'M
derstandings on which they de-
pended. How did spheres or inter-
est come into existence? Because
at a certain period Of Russian and
German aggression in China other
powers, in order to prevent China
being cut up before their eyes, had
to do for each other what China
could not do for herself. In China's
interest. as well as in their own.
they had to guard against their
exclusion from legitimate oppor-
tunities of enterprise. This was
due not so much to their own policy
as to China's want of policy; not
in consequence of their own
strength. but of China's weakness.
Opposes China's Plan.
Mr.. Balfour thought it was the
hope of all those present to place
China in a position to defend her
interests. to protect her neutrality.
and no longer to be the prey of
acquistive powers. He did not
think that this end was likely TO
be attained by adopting the broad
principle proposed by the Chinese
delegation, but rather by dealing
with the difficulties which beser
China one by one. as the committee
were actually doing, Q. e., in their
dealings with such questions as
spheres OF interest. postoflces, ex-
Internationally, etc. That was
likely TO be a most useful and
fruitful method. Another method.
which ought to be still more fruit
full, must be dependent on China
herself. All that the conference
would do was to see that no undue
limitations, no limitations which
were not necessitatcd by the facts
of the situation, are placed on
China's sovereign independence. and
to give all the help in its power
toward the creation of a pure and
vigorous administration. He could
not see that the position was
helped by the principle proposed by
the Chinese delegation, which went
a good deal beyond any existing
principle of international law. The
term employed. namely. the Pa
cific and Far East" was as broad
as the Pacific itself
He could not believe that the
powers represented at this table
would accept 1t. more especially as
China was not in possession of ma
terial forces to enable her t. carry
out any policy outside her own
frontier. He asked if it had oc-
CURED to Mr.. Koo that his principle
involved limitation of the treaty
making rights of powers which
could hardly be accepted. SIR. Bal
four then read the following ex-
tract: THE powers agree not to
conclude between themselves any
treaty or agreement directly affect
ing China or the general plan in
these regions without previously
notifying China and giving her an
opportunity to participate"
League Demands Publicity.
Translated into international IAN
guage. this would prevent France