New Ulm review., 1921-12-28
CHINA AND THE CONFERENCE
By, Edward F. McSweeney

While the demands Of the Chinese
delegation and the four points OF the
Root plan appeared to be in harmony
as to the future of the Chinese Repub-
lie, and seemed supplementary to one
another as a guarantee Of the sover-
eighty and integrity Of China, it Isl
now certain that these documents do
not agree with the policy Of the
Washington Conference as whole.
The Chinese proposal is honest enough,
being the expression of body that
would save the country and the people
which it represents. The Root points
are not so ingenious. After all, Mr..
Root is identified with the big interests
much more at the Conference than he
represents the government Of the
United States.
In reviewing the case of China at
this date, it is necessary to keep three
things in mind. Firstly, a great deal
of nonsense and propaganda has been
written on this subject; secondly, the
great Powers do not intend re-estabish-
ing, at this time and OF their own free
will, an autonomous China and, third
ly, China is handicapped by the fact
that there are two governments in the
country: one in Pekin and another IN
Canton. -
The Chinese government represented
at the Conference is in Pekin. Its
delegates have gone to much trouble
trying to prove that they also represent
thes Cantonese, advaneing3iithe claim
that, on the question of China, as be-
fore The Conference, all public opinion
in China is. one. There is no doubt
that such is really the case. The.
trouble is that it will be hard to con-
vince on this subject members OF the
Conference who do not want to be
convinced. Since these members re-
present Great Britain, France, Japan
and the United States, China's future
is less bright than press reports would
have one believe. In fact, it will
take every effort on the part OF the
American people. to prevent the parti
tion Of China, ultimately. That parti-
tion may not be, and probably will not
be projected Immediately. But the
basis for it is now being laid down.
Shorn of all camoufage and super
.fuous verbiage, the case of China be-
fore the Washington Conference today
is as follows: China will not get a
new 8deal. Historic claims and old
policies will be used to carry through
what the Conference has on its secret
agenda The point of departure today
is what it was as far back as 1845, to
wit: China is unable to attend to its
own affairs. The conference fears, in
the manner in which such bodies usu-
ally fear, that nothing has changed in
China.
In the year named, the Chinese
government called in Great Britain,
France and the United States to make
the governing mandarins Of the pro
vinces disgorge the customs duties they
were collecting. Moreover, the pro-
vincial government controlling a port
would levy one import or export tax,
and then all other provinces would re-
peat this under law known as the
''lei-kin'' In the main this system was
similar to the French octroi. Goods in
transit were taxed as we'll as those
having their destination in the province
in question.
BY an agreement between Great
Britain, France, the United States
and the Pekin government fiat 5 per
cent customs rate was laid on all i'm
ports, and the s'lei-kin" retained. The
scheme went into operation in 1858,
and remains in force to this very day,
though in 1902 authority was offered
the Pekin government to increase this
tax to912q1-2 percent, on condition
that the Hlei-kin'' Of the provinces be
abandoned. The condition was. not
met, and the result was that the 5 per
cent tariff was maintained.
The 5 per cent tax leaves China
open to exploitation, and is not suf-
icient of course to produce the needed
revenues One has but to consider the
American tariff to get a complete
picture of this.
The conference would like to con
tinue this state Of affairs; it is even
willing now to enforce the 12 IL per
cent tax, or go higher, provided the
"lei-kin" is abolished, and means found
Ito keep the revenues thus collected
within the realm of European and
American control. In this connection
the hungry eyes Of big international
business are now guided by the con-
Yenient arrangement that prevailed
in pre-War Turkey, where the public
debt was administered byrep representatives
|of foreign Powers, on the basis that all
new foreign loans made had to be Sc
cl1red hv Turkish +. .ravon11pc Tn MANY