Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-25
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

all their unselfish generosity toward
| China" have had no Hankow attacks
yet, however impractical commercially
are our efforts to help the Chinese.
But it is explained:
IN China, more than anywhere
else, it is not the pushing. hustling
bagman, replete with the results of
commercial correspondence and adver-
Using courses, who is required; the
| Chinese like best to do business with
a gentleman of education"
How, then, can Americans compete?
The Associated Press dispatch from
Shanghai states:
From Hongkong the British dis
patched three brigadeS 5000 mem of
Punjabi troops to Shanghai, while
from the Sasebo naval station four
| Japanese destroyers departed for un-
announced points in China"
These Punjabi troops are assumed
to he Indians.
Yet it is just a. month since Great
Britain announced it's policy to the
representatives Of the Washington
conference powers as being concilla-
tory toward the Picking government,
saying:
THE British recognize that in many
respects the Chinese treaties with for
eign powers are now hopelesSly out
of date, and, If order is to be brought
out of chaos now engulfing China the
Occidental powers must face the realii-
ties, take account of changed condi-
tons, and, by working along new
lines, preserve their position in China
without resorting to the Anticipated
appeal of brute force"
But the appeal of brute force
supersedes the business of educated
gentlemen without waiting for the
cooperation of the American ideal
istic huStlerS." The announced Brit
ish policy is to preserve their posi-
ton" as to Chinese concessions. which
New China is determined to abrogate,
and that seems to call for arms.
Americans hold no imperialisdc con-
cessions, and there is not the slightest
indication Of any appeal to brute
force by our administration.
4 X X
How much has China developed. on
which to base it's claim to be relieved
of it's greatest humiliatiOn-eXtrate
ritoriality, or, as shortened now IN
usage in the East, ''eXtralityE
In the most recent appendix to the
Encyclopedia Americana is an article
by Edgar l.. Morgan, editorial secre-
tary China Baptist Publishing So
ciety, who cites certain objections 10
abolishing this right of all treaty ma
tons to protect their nationals from
Chinese courts, and to try them DE-
fore their own consuls.
Citing the claim of the Chinese, that
since the concession of this "ex-
t., 10 DHff igh and
1874 to America, China has enacted
benefcent laws and established courts
with learned and honest judges" his
answer is:
Q) At present China has no strong
central government. She cannot con.
troll herself; how could she control
others?
(2) She has no constitution. In 20
years she has had five constitutions;
the last one has been declared null
and void.
(9) In the last 80 years no new laws
amounting to anything have been
enacted. A provisional crime code
has been drafted, but not adopted by
any Parliament.
(4) Chinese laws are not suited TO
foreigners. They would allow an
American to have as many wives as
he could support, and divorce by mu-
tual consent.
(5) NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of courts is as
bad as or worse than in 1872. Jurles
are not permitted. Witnesses are no.
examined by the litigantS, but by the
court, and only through the court can
a litigant ask questions. In recent
case a Judge ruled out all witnesses
as unnecessary, saying that the judge
he'd made private examination. In an
Anglo-SaXon court the magistrate 10
not permitted to make personal eA
animation except in the presence Oh
both litigants. In China, honlIcIue
and manslaughter are treated as t,le
same, except that for homicide the
condemned is beheaded and for man
slaughter he is strangled. He Is as
sumed to be guilty until he proves
his innocence, but he cannot call any
witnesses. Before execution, he must
confess, and any amount of torture 10
wiring confession is permissible. In de-
fault of payment of a judgment the
defaulter must stay in Jail for years
no matter how small the debt.
The Chinese law of EXTENSION
holds parents, brothers and cousins OF
the accused equally guilty of his OF
Tense, however serious may be the dc-
cusation. So the many relatives are
all executed for murder If one Is coHl-
mitted. Whole villages or tribes are
sometimes equally involved In such
extension" of responsibility.
That is the law under which Amer
leans would be caught, If "extrality
were abolished.
Russian Reds sway the courts
against all whites" Bribery is prev
alent, according to the encyclopedia /
and Rev. Morgan. the secretary OF the !
Baptists.
(Copyright. 1927. by Paul " Colins.l