The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. MONDAY JUNE, 8, 1925. TROUBLE IN CHINA.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 133, 8 June 1925, Page 6

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

MONDAY JUNE, 8, 1925. TROUBLE IN CHINA.

For the fause that lacks assistance, For the xcrong that needs reeietamM, For the future in the distance, And the good that ice can do.

"Whether the disturbances in Slinnghai are in their origin economic or political, or both, tliey are important as i illustrations of the dangers that lie in the relations between the West an.l the East in that country. Shanghai is one of the great distributing centres of the world. Jt is the foremost port of China and has a million inhabitants. As one of the Treaty Ports it is governed liy a mixed jurisdiction. The foreign .settlement* are line suburbs of the city, admirably laid out and governed under extra -territorial rights; The municipal government of these pints, says a recent "Hound Table,'" is conducted with great eflicieney ami with little interference from the Chinese (iovcrninent. The foreign communities in these cities have very large local interests and have contributed much to prosperity ami pood government. They and their (iovernnients behind them are largely responsible for law and order. The central government is far away and ineffective. When anti-foreign demonstrations occur it is natural that these communities should take measures for protection of their lives and the interests they have built np. In a manufacturing city like Shanghai, where wages are low and hours long, economic causes of strikes may be looked for, but it is clear that the political factor is also potent. While the authority of Peking decays, the spirit of nationalism grows. China stands in increasing need of foreign help, but the movement for independence extends. The -very extraterritoriality that permits Knropeans at Shanghai to discipline mobs, and foreign Powers to land troops, is objected to most strongly by Chinese Nationalists. Their cry is -China for the Chinese." In tin's they are supported by Moscow. L'ussia. says the writer in the "Hound Table" whom we have quoted, has gracefully waived all such privileges in China, in which, however, Russians have little direct interest. The retrocession of these rights lias had a considerable effect in China. A similar concession is demanded from the other Powers "and the Soviet Ambassador has lost no opportunity to stir up trouble for his. diplomatic colleagues, their Governments ' and peoples, by exploiting this somewhat empty concession and conducting a bitter and highly personal campaign against the Imperialist Powers, the capitalist trader, and indeed every interest which is not pledged tn Bolshevist sympathies." Four years ago the Powers in assembly at Washington pledged themselves to readjust, among general conditions, that of foreign privileges and control in China. Conferences were to be called to consider these questions, but action was delayed, partly because China, requested postponement, and partly because France delayed ratification of the agreement. This writer thinks that if these conferences had assembled in ]<):>2 the situation today would be better. This authority argues for a new understanding witli China, which on one side would give Knropeans "reasonable security for life, property, trade, currency uud Communications, from civil war, brigandage, anil irregular taxation,' , and on the other would remove Chinese grievances. The main difficulty seems to be that in the present condition of China it is impossible to look to any Chinese Government for thai "reasonable neurit y." an* to long as this is so. Hie Powers cannet be expected to jjart wfcli many of their righto.