Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-06
BY WILLIAM RUFUS SCOTT.

n 4 MISTER c. c. WI returns to
HH Washington, after a partial
V victory at the League Of Ma
4 tons meeting on the issue of
unequal treaties" to face
what may develop into the most critical
relations between the United States
and China since the two countries have
had diplomatic intercourse.
The Geneva victory consisted in in
| ducing the assembly to agree, under
article 10 of the League covenant. that
any member may bring to the attention
Of the League any treaty 1t considers to
have become inapplicable to present
conditions and the continuance Of
which might endanger the peace Of the
world. Mr.. WI did not succeed in get
| ting action at this session, but cleared
the ground for action next year. If
! China shall not in the meantime have
precipitated a crisis by herself abrogat-
| ing the disliked treaties.
u. S. Not Concerned.
The United States. not being men,
Der of the League. is not directly con-
cerned by the aSSembly's recent de-
cision. but England, the most widely in
| trenched power in China, is a member.
and so are france and some other
| powers with extraterritorial privileges
| in that country; so that indirectly the
League action may create a condition
which the United States necessarily
would take into account in formulating
| its own policy.
AS the situation now stands. the
United States still has under considera-
ton the last note from China request
! ing the Washington Government to
name Immediately" its representatives
to discuss with China the question Of
revising, or abrogating, the treaty with
| the United States. which does not ex-
pire until 1884. This treaty gives
Americans In China the right to De
| tried by American consuls II our citi-
| zens are accused of crime or otherwise
become involved in litigation. China
asserts that her progress now JuStlnes
| trials in Chinese courts. The United
| States up to this writing has main
| tanned that proof Of the capacity OF
| Chinese courts and of the growth OF
| Chinese jurisprudence, has not peen
| given In sufhcient degree to warrant
complete abolition of the American
| courts.
In China's last note. and in authori-
tative utterances of officials of the Chi
nese Nationalist government at Nam
king it has been intimated or declared
outright that China will abrogate the
treaty in less than three months. or on
January /. 1880. II agreement about the
treaty has not been reached by negoIla-
! lions in the meantime. Thus Mr.. WI
returns to the legation here with the
next move of the United States unde-
fined, and facing the problem Of main
tanning the traditional friendship OF
the United States for China. friend
! ship which China has leaned upon and
boosted of through many turbulent
years.
Friendship One Sided.
To this date the friendship has been
one sided. China admittedly has been
struggling toward autonomy and self
| rule. and therefore unable to make
moves of vital importance in the inter-
est of the United States. Now, however,
China Is considered by observers here
to have a big opportunity to show just
how real is her appreciation OF past
American exertions in her behalf and
to show the value China places on that
traditional friendship by the course
China will follow on the treaty dispute
Arbitrary abrogation of the treaty or
January /. assuming no agreement mas
been reached by then. would not be
construed as the manifestation OF a
friendly disposition toward the United
states, however much China may chafe
under the so-called unequal treaties
The United States. as all students OF
influence that prevented the dismem-
berment of China. AS recently as the
1922 naval conference in Washington,
the United States sponsored the Pacific
powers agreement further strengthen
ing the liberty and integrity Of China:
The detailed story of American help OF
a yitsl kind to China would be too long
to be chronicled here.
The conclusion found even among
friendly observers is that China could
not tear I'D the treaty in the face OF
the United States without loss OF some
thing much more valuable to China
than would be gained by the immedi-
ate abolition of extraterritoriality. while
among observers who cannot be classed
as friendly to China the opinion ranges
to more drastic condemnation OF the
intimated intention.
Mr. Wu returns soon after the report
issued by the special investigating COM
mission Of the American Red Cross
which went to China to see If famine
. relief measures on large scale Shoulc
, be undertaken. The report gives, from
, distinterested body of experts, strlk-
ing reinforcement Of the official atti'
tude of the United States toward pres
ent internal conditions in China as re-
, CARDS governmental reform.
| In brief, the Red Cross commission
reported that the famine was due pri-
marily to political chaos rather than te
actual physical disaster in the form Of
drought, crop failures and other agri-
, cultural deficiencies. The report said ir
part:
. 1.-THE restitution which prevails II
the famine areas is the cumulative re-
suit of the chronic conditions Of dis
order, the crushing exactions Of thu
war lords, the depredations OF bandits
the enforced payment of confiScator!
taxation and the Gripping and conse.
| quent inability of the railroads to func.
ton beyond a fraction of their norma
capacity; to these was added severe
/ drought which brought the whole t.
a tragic climax"
Acting upon this report, the Ameri
. can Red Cross central committee. meet
ing with Judge John Barton Payne a!
| chairman, in the last 10 days decided
against an appeal to the American PEG.
pie for millions of dollars with which
, to relieve famine in China, believing
: it was stated, that it would be make
. shift effort until China puts her owr
political house in order. Nevertheless
, of course, there is relief work going or
under American auspices. since TIT