Evening star., 1922-01-27
FOREIGNERS FEAR
COURTS IN CHINA
Rift in Nations Control Also
Factor in Retention of Ex-
traterritoriaI Rights.
BY WILLIAM II. GILES.

Especial Correspondence OF Tie Star and
Chicago Daily News.)
PEkING. China, December 2S-The
affairs OF China have received con-
siderable attention at the Washington
conference, and. although the Chinese
are far from satisfied with what their
delegates have obtained, those who
have made a close study of China's
internal affairs consider that she has
received much more than she could
reasonably have expected. 1t must
be remembered that the Chinese dele
gates appeared at the conference as
representative of only part OF China.
the provinces in the south. under con-
troll of the Canton government, re-
fusing to be bound by any agreement
the northern delegates might make:
The delegations position was weak
ened also by the fact that the govern
ment. or what pretends. to be a. gov
ernment. was divided against itself.
two strong military parties being
practically at daggers drawn. The
members of the cabinet are the
nominees of one or the other of the
leaders of these factions, the majority
Chang Tso-lin, better known as the
Mukden war lord, and the strongest
man in China. Besides this the gov
ernment is in a state of bankruptcy.
being unable to meet number of its
foreign and domestic financial obliga-
tions.
Tax Collections Meager.
In addition a state OF civil war exists.
and in nearly every province there are
disorders due to armed robbery. In only
few provinces is it possible for the
government to exert its authority or to
collect taxes. Officials Of the various gov
ernment agencies have threatened to go
on strike unless their arrears Of pay are
met. The police Of Peking intended to
strike unless the government set aside
a certain amount of money monthly to
insure that they would be paid prompt
ly.~ Officers and men Of the army and
navy also made threats Of mutiny un-
due. while large force Of men threat
ened to march on Peking unless they
were paid.
BY some means an amount of money
sufficient to satisfy these men for the
time being was raised and the threaten
ed calamity was averted. But no sooner
had this been accomplished than two
banks we're forced to suspend payment,
thereby throwing Peking into a panic.
One has since resumed payment. but
the other is still unable to cash its
notes.
In connection with the closing Of these
two banks. the government, with the OBJ
ject of being able to say that the banks
had not closed their doors, resorted to a
ruse typically Chinese. Day and night
the doors of the banks were wide open.
This permitted the directors to say that
the banks had not closed their doors, but
they did not mention the barricades, de-
fensed by strong forces Of soldiery, at
the entrances to the streets which led to
the banks and prevented any one from
getting near.
Post Omces and Tariff.
That China had a right to expect
the Washington conference to deal
with her in a sympathetic mannerand
assist her to regain certain sovereign
rights, to take steps to prevent fur
ther- -aggressions on her and to agree
to certain notifications of treaty OBJ
legations into which she had been
forced -on account of the military
upon her, was recognized by all for
eigners in this country, including the
Japanese. It was felt by all that the
efficiency Of the present postal sys-
tenn in China entitled her to have
the control of postal matters In her
own hands and that the time for the
withdrawal Of the post offices of other
countries had arrived. Considering
the vastness Of this country, the Chi.
nese post Office Is One OF the most
wonderful in the world.
It is also considered that the raising
of the customs tariff to a higher rate
is only ft and proper. The present
per cent which China is allowed 10
charge in accordance with her trea-
ties with foreign powers is undouot-
edly unjust. China has the right 70
expect that she will be allowed 70
Az her own customs duties on the
same basis that all the other powers DO:
Then no one disputes the right or
China to control all wireless stations
in this country. 1t would be RANK
Injustice to refuse the Chinese the
same privileges that the other coun-
tries claim for themselves.
To these and similar contentious put
forward by the Chinese the foreign
ers in China raise no opposing voice:
There is one exception, however, ana
that is in relation to the abolition OF
extraterritoriality. This opposition Is
not voiced by one section OF the for-
eign community in China, but by all.
Il is not dominated by any anti-Chi-
nese feeling or any desire to belittle
the dignity Of China or to interfere
with her sovereign rights; 1t Is domi-
mated by the sense OF self-preserva-
ton.
Unjust Treatment Of Foreigners.
Every one in China knows that
China's judicial and penal codes are
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