Laws and regulations may be promulgated in plenty
to give colour to the picture of a modern enlightened
and effective Government, but there will be as little
substance behind this "window-dressing" as there was
behind the announcement of the Chinese delegate at
Geneva that China had introduced the Eight-Hour Day
for child labour and abolished night work for women
and children. It must be remembered that the Chinese
have for centuries had good cause to avoid their
own judiciary, and have had recourse thereto only
when all forms of bargaining and mediation had been
1
exhausted, and even if under a new regime judicial office ceased to be a party-spoil, the old tradition would still persist. We consider it important, there- fore, in framing proposals for the imposition of a
Chinese Civil and Commercial Code in British courts
in China to stipulate that such imposition shall pro- ceed pari passu not only with the promulgation and
occasional enforcement of a modern and civilized code
but with its effective and habitual enforcement on,
and general acceptance by, the people of China. We realize that such a stipulation may mean indefinite delay in implementing the offer made and may expose His Majesty's Government to the charge of insincerity, but that does not appear to be a matter of much moment in dealing with authorities such as recently furnished the Nanking incident as an example of this modernity and enlightenment. We presume that it is not intended to apply Chinose law in British courts
in
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