CHINESE TREATY PORTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21365, 19 June 1931, Page 9

CHINESE TREATY PORTS

THE RIGHTS OF FOREIGNERS LEADING JURIST’S VIEWS (United Press Association.) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) SHANGHAI, June 17. The report of Mr Justice Feetham, an internationally-famed jurist, regarding the International Settlement at Shanghai, has been issued. Mr Justice Feetham was loaned by the South African Government. He was formerly chairman of the Irish Boundary Commission, and was specially invited to study the difficult extraterritoriality question and render an open minded report as to whether the abolition or retention of extraterritoriality was advisable.

The report comprises 300,000 words. To-day’s section vitally affects foreigners residing at Shanghai and the treaty ports generally. It declares emphatically that the abolition of extraterritoriality is unthinkable at present. Likewise the maintenance of the foreign military defence force is essential. Mr Justice Feetham states that the Chinese must not secure a majority vote in the administration of the International Settlement, owing to the inevitable interference from the military, from the National Government, and from the Kuomintang. If the Chinese gained control of Shanghai there would be no guarantee that the incidents of 1927 would not be repeated. He suggests that foreigners should be granted a charter by the Chinese Government. Although admitting that the abolition of extraterritoriality will eventually be inevitable, he adds that the question of the rendition of the settlement must be considered in terms of decades, not years.