The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-04-09
j. s. THREATENS
BREAK WITH
CHINA
Murder OF American in Pres
ence Of Consul Strains
Hughes Patience.
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Continued from First Page)
and that this murder. consummated
in the presence of American Consul
| Sokobin, constituted an affront to
the American Government.
He has demanded formal
apology to the United States by the
| Chinese government, an apology
| from the Tuchun of ChahAr to Con-
sui Sokobin. punishment of the re-
| sponsible officials and their subordi.
mates, compensation OF the family
of Mr. Coltman, and guarantees
that Americans in the pursuit of
their legitimate business may carry
on that business Independently of
embargoes. and local restrictions
| He also has conveyed to the
Chinese government the conviction
that black of all other problems in
China and fundamental to their
solution is the question Of the
/ authority Of the Peking govern
ment." The powers, Secretary
Hughes believes, have fulfilled their
promise made at the Washington
conference Ito provide the fullest
and most unemharrassed Opportun-
ity to China to develop and main.
tain for herself an effective and
stable government.
Obligations Fulfilled.
The customs tariffs have been
raised from 81 to an effective s
per cent; foreign postoffices have
been withdrawn. and Shantung has
been restored to the sovereignty of
China. The commission OF jurists
provided for by the conference to
study the question Of extra-terri-
! tOriaIity, or the abolition OF foreign
courts, is ready to proceed to
China herself.
On the other hand, the spokes-
man of the American government
has pointed out that China, after
lapse Of more than fourteen
months, has done practically moth.
| ing to carry out her part OF the
agreements, and conditions In China
have become more and more chaotic.
Minister Schurman's official state
ment of the American position said:
1.-THE resolution of the conference
provided that this conference ex.
press to China the earnest hope
that immediate and effective steps
should be taken by the Chinese
government to reduce the aforesaid
military forces and expenditures.
DISARMAMENT of surplus soldiers
has been plank in all reform
programs in China since that date.
/ No positive results. however, have
been achieved. On the contrary,
recruiting has gone on more active
~ than ever. Hosts OF young men
have been taken from cities, and
TIL IA aAWNy ~ 1N.a
made soldiers, while the discarded
material has gone to augment the
bandit class. 1t is reliably es-
timated that at the present time
there are from 10000 to 1900, 900
men in the armed forces of China.
I'm addition, there are some
hundreds Of thousands Of armed
bandits in the country between
whom and self-supporting soldiers it
is had to make a just distinction.
for the soldiers OF today may be
the bandits of tomorrow, and the
bandits of yesterday are the soldiers
of today. Under the present mill.
tary situation OF China, the ir.
responsible military commanders
with their personal armies may be
fairly described as manufacturers
of bandits"
Finances Chaotic.
No progress whatever has been
made since the Washington con.
ference in the financial rehabilita,
ton of China. official information
here indicates. Public debts,
principal and interest alike, remain
unpaid. and creditors, domestic as
well as foreign, clamor for what
ID due them. Since the conference,
there have been four civil wars,
which decided nothing, and not
only has no constitution been
adopted, but there apparently is
little prospect of such a step.
In conclusion, the statement Of
the American attitude reiterates the
traditional friendship of the United
States for China, but make a
warning allusion to the Coltman
case:
1.-THE American people and the
American Government earnestly
desire that this friendship may
grow in depth and in intensity. In
unalloyed sincerity and cordially,
There Is nothing which the Ameri'
can nation ranks higher in China
except. indeed, the jewel OF its own
SOUL mean justice, the in
volatility Of the lives and lawful
rights OF it's citizens, and its own
national dignity and self respect"