78
The experience of the past few years has shown that
the anti-piracy clauses of the so-called "unequal" treaties
no less than the clauses providing for a uniform tariff on
foreign trade were designed at least as much in the
interests of China as of those of the Treaty Powers and just
as the suspended animation of the tariff clauses has
cmused a reversion in fiscal matters to the bargaining
and corruption of pre-treaty days, so the imperativene as
of the piracy clauses bids fair to bring about a return to
armed merchantmen of the fifties - neither of which
conditions can be made to harmonise with the complicated
machinery of present day trade.
I have, etc.,
(Signed) S. Barton.