5 FEBRUARY 1927, Page 2

We have written in our first leading article about Sir

Austen Chamberlain's remarkable speech last Saturday. The only other fact which .need be recorded here is that on Tuesday the Peking Government, which is now, controlled by Marshal Chang Tso-lin, dismissed Sir. Francis. Aglen, the Inspector-General of Maritime Customs, pre:;.unably because he refused to levy the surtaxes before any agreement had been- reached on the subject between China and the Powers. Sir Francis, who succeeded Sir Robert Hart, as Inspector-General, has ,served nearly forty years in _China and has brought the Customs Administration to a state of higher efficiency than ever before.