Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-19

der by foreigners Of every right which
they enjoy In China and which the
Chinese do not enjoy In other coun-
tries. The fact that other countries
have established systems OF law ana
courts which are reasonably lndepend-
ent Of executive and entirely independ-
ent OF military control does not concern
them. The organization of Chinese law
and administration they conceive 10 De
an internal question with which foreign
powers should have no more to do than
they have in other countries. II Tor
eigners do not like what China has to
offer them in the way Of justice. they
are free to leave. The fact that this
would ruin many Of them is their own
affair.
No Chinese government could remain
long in power without making definite
progress toward the abolition OF extra
territoriality. The Marking foreign OF
nee has been successful in negotiating
q dozen or more treaties with minor
powers, which have agreed therein 10
surrender their extraordinarily privi-
leges when the great powers DO so. But
the latter-United States, Great Brit
ain, France and Japan-Still consider
their interests in China too great 10
hazard the surrender of extraterritorial-
ity, although the United States has ex-
pressed its willingness to negotiate.
Pressure Brought to Bear.
Despite Its success in making new
treaties with the minor powers, there
has been continuous pressure on the
government for more substantial re-
suits through bringing the great powers
to terms. After the defeat at the hanoS
Of Russia in the Chinese Railway mat
ter, this pressure became 1rreslstlole.
The Marking government was forced 10
do something to re-establish popular
confidence. and the decree OF January
! was the result.
Here is an apparent impasse as seri-
Gus, at least as some which have led
to warfare in China in times past: The
powers cannot yield because by doing so
they would abandon thousands OF their
nationals and millions of dollars worth
Of property to almost certain plundering
at the hands of Chinese militaristS.
The Chinese government cannot yield
because Chinese opinion holds the
abolition Of extraordinarily to be the
supreme test of the worthiness of any
government to hold office.
Shotwell Helps to Clear Way.
Yet even as hopeless a situation as
this may yield to the resources OF
craftsmanship. In the recent confer
CL1CG Vi "a kSCLd-
lions at Kioto representatives of the
various Pacific countries met to dis
cuss outstanding political issues. The
question of extraordinarily was be-
fore the conference. A memorandum
by Prof. James T. Shotwell not only
served to clarity the issue, but pointed
the way to a possible solution.
This memorandum stressed the fact
that for the foreign powers extraterri-
toriality was a juristic question in which
their sole interest was the protection
of their nationals, while for the Chinese
it was a political question in which
their sole interest was the liberation Of
China from foreign control. The con-
verse Of this is that the foreign powers
have no desire to impair Chinese SOW
ereignty and the Chinese-those who
speak for the Chinese people-are not
averse to the judicial protection of
foreigners.
Now. 1t happens that the Chinese In