ENGLISHMEN IN THE CHINESE SERVICE [To the Editor of the
Spaernroa.] Sia,—I perused with interest the letter from. Sir Francis Aglen in your columns respecting the form of allegiance previous Inspectors-General of Customs took, but those were mild compared to the one by Mr. Maze to accept the principlet of the Kuomintang.
No less an authority than Mr. Woodhead, C.B.E., of the
Peking Times and China Year Book, in an article in this month's National Review, states " there is probably no pre- cedent for a British subject, holding an important position in the public service of a country from whose jurisdiction he is immune by the extraterritorial clauses of the treaties, taking the oath of allegiance to a political party, and the incident has created a very unpleasant impression among foreigners of all nationalities in China." Why such a conspiracy of silence in the Press to deter notice from a position unsatisfactory? In the earliest days of missions to China, those like that of Lord Macartney were received with more dignity than envoys of the Dutch, who submitted
to kowtow. The Chinese respect prestige and do not under- stand vacillation on the part of a great Power. Englishmen in the Far East may have been snubbed in the past, but it is different from yielding to loss of face.—I am, Sir, &c., D. HALLIDAY MACAETNEY.
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