The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-09-23
CHINA SILENT
ON FOREIGN
COLONIES
Legal Basis Fixed for Foreign
Section in Shanghai Through
Marking Treaty
BY BERT i. KUHN
InternatlonaI Narza service


SHANGHAI, China, Sept. 2S.--In
the confusion Of councils. consuls.
settlements and concessions which
mark the news dispatches from
Shanghai, the average American
reader probably finds himself won.
dering what it's all about and what
sort of q place this Shanghai IS,
anyway.
The answer Is not a simple one
for the government Of the Inter
national Settlement Of Shanghai is
built on a series Of presidents dat.
ing back to the days when the
first foreigners came to reside on
the China coast
In the early part of the last
century, when American and Brit
ish clipper ships first sensed the
wealth Of the China trade and
determined to break in on II IL at
all possible, they found themselves
by no means welcome visitors.
There were no open DOORS in
China then. The Middle Kingdom,
se1f-sufficient over & period Of more
centuries than any other empire
tho world has ever known, wanted
nothing whatsoever TO 10 with the
foreign devils Regulations spe-
cia1ly promulgated by the Son 81
Heaven provided severe penalties.
even death; for those who served
the foreigners in any way, traded
with them, taught them the Chi
nese language. or gave them help.
even when they or their vessels
were in distress.
But those early foreign sdven;
turers to the China coast were
not to be kept off BY even such
drastic 1neasut es During period
Of years marked by bloodshed on
both sides, BY threats and counter
threats, some Of which were car
lied into effect, the foreigner gained
lis fOotLoId in China, first at Can
ton and later at Shanghai.
China, although unwilling, was
forced to accept him as her guest,
but because OF her desire to avoid
insofar as possible direct contact
and intercourse between Chinese
and foreigners, it was China's own
suggestion that special sections be
set apart in which foreigners might
reside and do business. 1t being
distinctly understood that the for
eigners were never to go beyond
the limits Of these allotted places
of residence and trade. These
were the forernnners of today's
foreign settlements and concessions
in China.
Although EngIishmen had come
to Shanghai prior to the Chino
British war, 18S9-42, the legal basis
for foreign settlement at Shang.
hal appears in the treaty OF Nan
king, concluded at the close OF
that war, y when Shanghai, along
with Annoy, FoochoW and Ningp0,
was made an open port on q basis
similar to that at Canton.
Under this treaty China gave
permission to Great Britain to sta
ton in these ports resident super
or consular officers who
were to supervise the trade be-
tween the two nations. In 1S45 an
agreement was made between the
British Consul at Shanghai and the
Chinese Governor OF the Shanghai
district, creating a British settle
mef1t at Shanghai which was to be
open to all Foreigners alike.
Subsequently the Frenc h de-
manded that they, too, be granted
a settlement at Shanghai, and In
1S49 the French Consul signed an
agreement with the Chinese author
tiles whereby the latter set aside
q district to the south of the British
settlement as French concession.
During this same period an Amer
lean settlement grew along the
northern borders Of the British
settlement.
1t was never, however, formally
recognized, owing to the policy Of
the American State Department,
even in those days, of not demand
ing or accepting any special con-
cessions in China. AS a result, the
American settlement was fncor.
porated into the British settlement,
which was to be controlled by the
representatives of all for
eign nations having extra-terri-
torial treaties with China and rep
resentatives at Shanghai.
For administrative purposes, and
in order to establish q, democratic
form of municipal government, the
foreign taxpayers resident in the
International Settlement of Shang-
hal were empowered by their con-
sular representatives to take over
administrative control of tn Inter
national Settlement, subject to
control by the consular body.
Under this plan, scheme of or
ganization was worked out provid-
ing for annual town meetings of
all foreign taxpayers at which a