Evening star., 1925-07-03

Webster, Secretary Of State, in 1843.
10 instruct Caleb Cushing, our first
Minister to China, that he must
emphasize the fact that the United
States of America refused to recog-
niZe Chinese superiority or to render
tribute to the Emperor of China.
We Westerns boast of the antiquity
of our laws and customs of civiltza-
ton. AS late as 1870 the Savage
method OF recording business trans
actions by splitting bit of wood into
Two parts and giving one to the
creditor and the other to the debtor, as
evidence of the obligation, was recog-
nized in English courts.
All over the world Savages regulate
their every act by laws-quite as
complicated and binding as our writ.
ten laws. The ancient Jews were
forbidden Neviticus XIV to sell their
allotments of land. so are Tabitans.
SO were East Indians until British
ciViilzatfon changed their ancient prac-
tice. In ancient Greece and in Jewrv
no offcer of law punished a murderer.
that was left to the family of the
deceased. Hence the vendetti. which
persists in parts of Europe, is of
classic origin. A thief in ancient
Palestine and Greece, if not caught in
the act, was never punished beyond a
nne; the same rule applied in the
German and Anglo Saxon codes and
among the American Indians. An
cient China refined that law by grad
ing the fine imposed, decreasing 1t as
the relationship of the thief TO the
person robbed diminished.
what, then. is the answer to the
modern PLATE who asks: What is
civilization? Where is the distinction
which permits one nation to say to
another, We, being civilized, will ex-
ercise extraterrttortal Jurisdiction over
our nationals, within your domain.
thought they commit heinous crimes
against your own nationalist"
X X X
Our first treaty of commerce with
China was negotiated by Minister
Gushing in 1S43, and the Minister
wrote:
BY that treaty the laws Of the
union follow its citizens, and it's BAN
ner protects them, even within the
domain of the Chinese Empire
America has never abused its privi.
leges in China-though this assertion
may not apply to individual Ameri-
cans. Can the same be claimed for all
other nations? In 1857 the English and
AOiASLi u war against CHINA
and invited the United States to Join
them, but President Buchanan, in a
message to Congress, reported our
refusal to do SO, and that the friendly
and peaceful policy pursued by the
Government of the United States to-
ward the Empire of China has pro-
duced the most satisfactory results"
The treaty of Tientsin of the 18th
June. 1858, has been faithfully OBJ
served by the Chinese authorities. I"
Under that treaty, the Chinese set.
paying damages amounting to $685.
23S, but, later, an adjudication of
those claims by an American COM
mission found them inflated and fore
ed the return to China of $435, 400.
The indemnity paid us for the Boxer
Rebellion was subsequently returned
to China, on condition that 1t be used
for the education of Chinese.
Secretary of State. Frank B. Kel-
logg, under the direction Of President
Coolidge, Is carrying forward the pre-
vtous policies Of the United States in
urging the abolishment of all extra
territorial aggressions in China and
the return Of her full independence
and liberty to manage her own affairs,
establish her own rates of tariff In
order to make 1t possible to build up
a. strong central government, with
funds to support a national army and
suppress petty rebellions, brfgnadage
and national antagonism to foreigners.
(Copyrirbt 1925 by Paul " Collins)