As Mr. Chen's ability is not in doubt it is
fair to assume that he really is able to see matters from the British point of view. There is no kind of certainty, of course, that the Cantonese will prevail. They arc only one of several warring elements, though they are certainly at the moment much the most powerful. If they could make their claim good everything would be simplified, but that time is not yet. The interesting revelation has been made that Mr. Chen is a British subject. He is said to have been born in Trinidad, where he practised as a lawyer. He has frequently stayed in London, where, as well as in Trinidad, he passed under another name. One very important fact remains to be noted. In the House of Lords on Wednesday Lord Balfour stated that the Government had sent a letter to the League of Nations calling its attention to affairs in China. This is excellent. In spite of the objections raised by some of the best friends of the League to the suggestion that this should be done we felt strongly, as our readers know, that the balance of argument wa:; decidedly in favour of asking Geneva to take cognizance of what was happening. We felt that this was due to the League if only as an expression of our sense of its import- ance and dignity.
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