Evening star., 1926-04-11
WHITE RESIDENTS In CHINA
HELD UNFAIRLY ACCUSED
In Seeking Justice for Chinese Do Not
Abandon to Injustice Americans
Who Dwell i'm China.

and officials, were granted to most OF
the great powers around 1874. The
latest, and probably the last, extra
territorial rights were given in 1918 to
Switzerland. The accusation of the
agitators is that these privileges were
wrung from China in her moment
of weakness by the power of great
navies. This sob story never fails to
wiring loud cry of indignation from
the uninformed sentlmentalist (of
whom there are legions in America),
but the fact remains that all rights
were freely accorded to Switzerland
as late as 1918-and her navy, one Of
the most famous in the world, was
conspicuous by its absence.
Two beacon lights have appeared in
the January papers, shining bravely
and hopefully through the gloom Of
ignorance and the fog of sentimental
ity, that all who are not blinded by
prejudice can see with their own eyes
the plain, unvarnished truth. The
first is an extract from the November
Bulletin of the Chamber of Commerce
of the State of New York, which was
printed in the Shanghai paper on
January 9. After reviewing present
chaotic conditions in China, with the
lack OF any real government, 1t says:
0AII StdtcIllcifL OI rdCI.
To-day portions of the Chinese peo-
pie, apparently with the approval of
the semblance of government at
Peking, are demanding the revision or
abrogation of existing treaties which
secure to foreigners the right to the
protection of life and property under
the laws of their own countries and
demand also tariff autonomy and the
administration of their customs re-
ceipts, which have been pledged as Sc
curity for loans made to China by
other nations.
1.-THE treaties now sought to be
amended or renounced were nego-
tiated to meet actual needs and are
more necessary under the conditions
existing today than at any time since
the establishment of extraterritorial
rights"
That Is q blunt, concise statement
of fact. There follows a wish for
the peace and future development OF
China and a resolution to send a copy
Of this report and recommendation
to the President of the United States,
the Secretary of State and the Con-
gress. 1t is to be hoped that all re-
ceived a copy and gave this business
like bit of common sense the same at
tention and respect that they accord
to the wild exhortations and irreSpon- |
sible misstatements of fanatics.
Often when man goes to inveSti- |
gate and report on conditions there |
is so much window dressing" that |
he is unable to see, hear or under |
stand more than those who are vitality |
wish him to see, hear or |
Mr.. Silas Strawn, not |
has retained his clear !
vision in spite of all the Peking dust. |
l. IA Il 1I4 ak e,f,
College, he tells the Chinese students: |
China Not q Victim.
I'VE hear much about China being !
the victim of unequal treaties, that
she is being ground under the heel
of imperialism, that her people are
suffering from the injustices of extra |
territoriality, and that her sovereign
dignity is continuously impinged.
Since 1 have been in China 1t has
been my duty to study the economic,
political and social conditions obtain
ing here, and while it would be absurd
for me to assert that 1 could ac-
curately diagnose all Of these condi-
tions, I believe I can confidently
state that I have thus far seen no
convincing evidence that China's pres
ent-day troubles are in any degree
attributable to the so-called unequal
treaties, or to the imperialistic atti-
tude of the foreign powers.
"On the contrary, the evidence
seems to be overwhelming that the
troubles of China today are internal
rather than external, and that un-
equal treaties, extraterritoriality tariff
cal slogans which are availed of by
the agitators to excite the people of
China into frenzy Of criticism and
unrest
Mr.. Strawn continues:
While, as I have said, I do not
believe that the so-called unequal
treaties have anything to do with the
present conditions in China, neverthe-
less l am conscious of the fact that
whether 1 am right or wrong In my
conclusion, there are a vast number
of intelligent people in China who be
lIeve that the so-called unequal
treaties have something to do with
present conditions. Recognizing this
feeling, I conceive it to be my duty
as delegate to the tariff conference,
as well as a commissioner studying
the subject of eXtraterritoriality in
China, to do everything in my power
to remove the so-called inequalities in
the treaties Of which the Chinese
people are now complaining. There
is no desire on the part of the United
States to retain any treaty with
China which the Chinese people re-
gard as unequal or unfair. My effort
is to try to ascertain what the Chi
nese people really want"
If the anxious American living in
China is encouraged by the first
paragraph quoted, showing an insight
into true conditions, and then dashed
by the apparent offer of the sacrifice
of himself and his rights to intelligent
but misled Chinese, he may take heart
once more at the last sentence which,
If 1t means anything, means a great
deal.
What Do the Chinese Want?
What do the Chinese people really
want? The answer is easy. Over rs
per cent of the Chinese are farmers
They want justice. peace and pros
perity. What has the abolition Of ex-
Intentionally to do with them?
Nothing at all, except in the mouths
of the agitators, who travel about
trying Ito excite the people Of China
into a frenzy of criticism and unrest"
A large number of Chinese are
merchants. What do they want?
Justice, peace and prosperity. Can
they attain it through the sacrifice of
foreign rights? 1t has been amply
demonstrated that the fortune of the
merchants is linked with the fortune
of the foreigner. For them, to do
away with the concessions, to abolish
extraterritoriality would be to kill the
goose that lays the golden egg.
The next large class is the military.
What do they want? Power But they
have another desire, too--self-preser-
walton. With the first we can feel
no sympathy, when it is wrested from
their country through death and de-
struction; but with the latter we have
much to do, for with the fiuctuating
fortune of war there is hardly gen.