CHINA: War Challenge

One Yei Ling, a member of the Chinese Senate, wrote a letter to a friend (unnamed) in Washington, U. S. A. In that letter Mr. Ling issued a war challenge. Said he, in part:

“Now Russia, Germany and Austria, as a result of internal changes in their respective countries, have given up their special privileges in China and have concluded treaties of equality and reciprocity with us. For this the Chinese people feel very grateful. But England, France, Japan, America and Italy still cling to their privileged position in this country, showing no indication as yet of surrendering it. This is a matter of great indignation for the people.

“Since the Versailles and Washington Conferences, the people in England, America, Japan and France have never ceased to talk of the reorganization of international relations on the basis of right and humanity. Does their treatment of China act up to the pronouncement?

“All those unequal and unfair treaties which your Government has forced on China should be abrogated at once and in their place treaties of equality and reciprocity should be concluded. The Legation Quarter in Peking, together with all foreign settlements and concessions in the different treaty ports, should be returned to China; all extraterritorial courts abolished; all indemnities which China is still forced to pay waived; the customs and the postal administrations handed over to Chinese management; foreign troops and gunboats withdrawn at once; Hongkong, Kowloon, Liaotung and Formosa returned to China; Burma, Annam and Korea allowed to become independent.

“All the above demands are but just and fair. If you should regard them as excessive and unreasonable, China with her 400,000,000 people will unite with the weak and small races of Asia and the suppressed peoples of Europe and Africa and meet you in the field of battle to fight out the issue.”