The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-11-29
CHINESE JUSTICE

China's future looks pretty black.
You'd think. reading the papers, that the Chi
nese are the most warke people on the face of the
globe. OF course, they not. They are really
he worlds champion pacifsts
Today China is in turmoil Why? Principally
for three reasons:
l. Chinese philosophy is all against war and
the natives rneekly submit to the Stronger peoples
g. China is indescribably rich, therefore coveted
by the great powers who up to 19O0--when our Sec
rotary of State, John Hay, tossed monkey wrench
into the works-deliberatel planned her dismem-
berment
g. Native war lords, sometimes on their own,
sometimes as the tools of foreign powers, are keep
ing the country in chaos because the fishing is better
in troubled waters
Here is the background against which the inter-
national commission extra-terrtoriality, provided
for at the Washington conference of 1922 has been
working all this year. Its report was made public
by the State Department at Washington this morn
ing.
Viewed from the angle of things as they are, the
report must be regarded fair Among the thirteen
nations whose representatives signed it was China
herself The others are Belgium, Britain, France,
Denmark Italy Japan Holland Norway, Portugal
Spain and Sweden. The American commissioner,
Silas H. Strawn chairman. The object of the
commission to investigate the administration OF
Justice in China and pave the way if possible for for
eign powers to withdraw, progressively or othei
wise" their respective rights of extraordinarily
The report paints the usual gloomy picture OF
conditions in the Flowery republic. And arrives at
the usual conclusion namely, that when and if China
ever gets her laws and courts modernized to the point
where she can administer justice on her own then
he foreign powers will close their own courts there
But it does do one unusual thing for which it
must be commended. 1t suggests that there
ain abuses in the foreign courts which it would not
he amiss to correct 1t is not quite so happy how
,ver with some of the cases cited to show how Chi
Sc Justice sometimes miscarries. Take 1.-The case
Otto Hensohn" to mention only one
Otto it seems, German. (And Germany,
since the World War has extra-terrtorial rights
in China thus furnishing example of what might
happen were foreigners not protected by their own
courts.)
Otto worked as tea man" for Wilhelm
Pfeng manager OF a German concern in Foochow,
But Pfengs principal business was not selling tea,
but German and ammunition to the military
governor of the province of Fukien- Recently Ger
many along with the other principal powers, signed
an agreement not to sell arms In China, 80 When
consignment of arms arrived it was held up pend
ing permit from Peking The permit never came
and Pfeng saw fit to leave Foochow, not to return.
Whereupon Otto was thrown into military jail,
NNN"N~-~~N
and then released parole"
This country beat that Chinese student
was arrested in Washington murder charge and
detained the district jail there about seven years
before he was acquitted and released
Undoubtedly Justice in China today is something
of gamble That is to say, it is even more Of a
gamble than it is here in the United States in Eur
ope or Japan. Chinese scholars admit this and don't
ask or want any sudden change. They do want, how
ever to be left to run their courts day
as soon a plan be worked out
But right there is the difficulty. It is a fore
gone conclusion that foreign powers will not yield
their present privileges in China until order has been
and modernized tribunals of Justice set
And that can almost never be while some of the
powers actively conspre to keep the native lords
supplied with arms and munitions and encourage
them to keep the pot a-boiling
Which is why we say Chtnas future looks
pretty dark.