Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-30
Chamberlain Admits Treaties
Now Are Antiquated, But
Wants Safeguards.
WILL DEFEND SHANGHAI,
HE WARNS CANTONESE
New Pact Will Be Signed Only
With Government Represent
ing Whole Matt 1.

BIRMINGHAM, England. January
29.--Coming authoritatively from Sir
Austen Chamberlain, secretary for for
eign affairs. Great Britain's proposals
looking for settlement of the Chinese
problem were outlined to the public to.
night.
In long speech devoted entirely to
Chinese relations, Sir Austen declared
that Great Britain was prepared for a
change on all points desired by China
--extraterritoriality, the tariff and the
quasi independent status of the con-
cessions. On all these points the pres
ent system, he contended, was ante
quated, unsuited to modern conditions
and no longer. afforded protection to
British merchants.
The much discussed proposals which
charge OMalley had presented to the
Cantonese foreign minister at Han
kow, the foreign secretary said, in
cluded recognition of modern Chinese
law courts without the attendance OF
British officials as competent courts
for cases brought by British complain
ants. The British government, he
added, was ready to apply to British
courts in China existing modern Chi
nese civil and commercial codes and
duly enacted subordinate legislation.
Prepared to Go Further.
1--WE will go further than this" the
secretary continued, las soon as all
the Chinese codes and judicial admin
istration are ready. We are prepared
to make British subjects liable to pay
the regular Chinese taxation, not in
volving discrimination against British
subjects or goods.
This would include taxation levied
under a national tariff when such
law il promulgated, and so far as we
alone can effect such an object this re-
moves the last obstacle to full tariff
autonomy.
LAS regards the concessions we are
prepared to enter into local arrange
srfeYsts according TO tine particular cir
cumstances Of each port either Tor the
amalgamation Of the administration
with that or adjacent afea1 Under
Chinese control or for some other
method Of handing over the admins
tration to the Chinese, while securing
to the British community some voice
In municipal matters.
Goes More Than Half Way.
''You will see that we 60 much fur
ther than half way, but am certain.
that it is the right and wise course
to take. l am thinking not of the
inconvenience of the moment, but of
our relations with China for the next
100 years.
These proposals can be put into
force by the unilateral action of the
British government. For the moment
there can be no new treaty, for a
treaty can only be Sgned with a rec
ognized government, and we cannot
yet recognize any government as the
government of the whole of China.
1--WE cannot recognize Canton as the
government of China only, for this
would be to recognize the division Of
China, which every Chinese, whatever
his party, would resent" declared Sir
Austen, insisting on the need OF main
tanning strict impartiality toward the
contending Chinese armies.
Canton Controls One. Third.
I'VE cannot recognize the claim of
Canton to be the government of the
whole of China, for this would not be
in accordance with the facts, for Can,
ton controls hardly a third of China.
The Chinese themselves must decide
the question. and foreign recognition
situation
The secretary admitted that the
anti British policy of the Cantonese
was an additional difficulty in dealing
with them, and discussed at length
the reasons why Great Britain was
singled out for this attack He pro-
tested that the so-calied opium war,
which had opened China to foreign
trade, was no more an opium war
than the American War of Independ-
ence was a tea war, declaring that
alien influences did not hesitate to
preach to the Chinese that the British
were more responsible than any other
people for Chinese woes. Sir Austen
said that undoubtedly the anti-British
cry was the most dangerous factor
in the present situation.
Proceeding to outline recent events
at Hankow, he characterized the seiz-
ure of the British concession as an
outrageous and unjustifiable attack on
the long established rights of a peace
full British commercial community,
and, combined with similar outrage
at Kipkiang. proved there was no
Continued on Page 4, Column g.