• U.S.

CHINA: British Blunder

3 minute read
TIME

The united diplomatic front so long presented by the powers toward China was seriously weakened last week by the release of a British note calling upon the other powers to grant important concessions to the Chinese.

Proposed Concessions: 1) immediate granting of permission to the Chinese to increase their customs dues, as was envisioned in the Washington Treaties; 2) gradual abolition of the extraterritoriality system, whereby foreigners are tried before foreign courts in China; 3) renegotiation of the chief Chino-Foreign treaties, looking toward their revision; 4) disavowal by the powers of any intention to “control an unwilling country.” The publication of these British proposals came as a diplomatic bombshell and succeeded last week only in antagonizing all the nations concerned.

France. Foreign Minister Briand announced that his Government did not find itself in harmony with the British proposals. In this attitude was seen the influence of French exporters who have profited enormously by Chinese boycotting of British goods. Obviously they will not help Britain to clear herself by last minute concessions, of the Chinese charge that Britain is the true oppressor of China.

Japan. Baron Shidehara, the Japanese Foreign Minister, took approximately the French stand. Japanese are not willing to “renegotiate” out of existence the loans upon which China owes repayment to Japan. Moreover Japan is on good terms with the North China Dictator Chang Tso-lin; and sees no advantage in helping the British square themselves with the South China Government which has been maintaining the Anti-British boycott.

China. Even the Chinese were suspicious of these sudden British “concessions.” The South China Government had already forced customs concession from Britain so far as it is concerned. Therefore the South Chinese Government saw last week a British scheme to give little or nothing more to South China, but to give to the rival North China Government a chance to collect tax money wherewith to fight South China. In a word the South China Government saw the “concessions” as a British trap.

Paradoxically the North China Dictator, Chang Tso-lin, was also vexed, seeing in the British proposals an intention to recognize the new South China Government, whereas he considers himself the rightful master of all China.

Foreigners in China universally pronounced the British note a blunder. Its concessions, they said, came too late, and were too unspecific to allay Chinese suspicion.

The U. S. President Coolidge and Secretary Kellogg maintained a pregnant silence, though the President hinted that a change of U. S. policy in the direction outlined by Britain might soon be announced.

In State Department circles three points were stressed: 1) The traditionally liberal policy of the U. S. toward China is in harmony with the customs and legal concessions proposed by Britain. 2) However, the U. S. has always stood for the necessity of a single government of all China; whereas the British proposals tacitly envision the recognition of the new South China Government on a par with the traditional North China Government at Peking. 3) The tone of the British proposal was resented in Washington as implying that Great Britain is the chief defender of Chinese liberty; an implication at variance with the facts.

New Premier. Amid diplomatic fulminations over the British proposals the fact was almost lost sight of last week that Chin Yun-peng, Premier of China in 1919 and 1922, was called to the North China Premiership last week by Dictator Chang Tso-lin.

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