According to the terms of the treaties the Chinese had no legalright to demand representation, but in the course of years a newsituation had arisen. A great city had developed of which ninety-fiveper cent of the inhabitants were Chinese and it had become impolitic,to use no stronger word, to attempt to carry on the governmentwithout giving the Chinese population some voice in public affairs,and especially in the matter of taxation.
Several attempts had previously been made to bring about achange in this direction, but each time the Ratepayers were unwillingto give their sanction.
Action of the French MunicipalityThe French had acted more wisely, and had entered into anagreement with the Chinese authorities on April 8th, 1914, accordingto which “Two Chinese notables shall be designated by commonaccord by the commissioner of Foreign Affairs and the Consul-Generalfor France for arranging questions touching Chinese residents in theFrench Settlement with the French Municipal Council.“It was easier for the French to reach a settlement in this matter,inasmuch as their Municipal Council is only an advisory body, and thefinal authority rests with their Consul-General.
We can see, however, that the policy of meeting the wishes ofthe Chinese had a good deal to do with the consent of the Chineseauthorities to the extension of the French Concession, when at thesame time the request for extension of the International Settlement wasrefused.
There was continued agitation on the part of the Chinese in theInternational Settlement for representation, and after the May 30thincident it increased in vehemency.
Later, this number was increased to five.
Resolution Passed at Ratepayers‘ Meeting on April 15thAt the Ratepayers‘ meeting on April 15th, 1926, the followingepoch-making resolution was passed “that in the opinion of thismeeting the participation of the Chinese residents in the governmentof the Settlement is desirable; and that the Council is herebyauthorized and instructed to make forthwith representations to thePowers concerned with a view to securing the addition of three Chinesemembers at an early date.“There was considerable delay in the election of these three Chinesemembers, due largely to the fact that during the revolutionary periodthe desire was expressed by a section of the Chinese that “an equalshare in the responsibility in the administration of the Municipal affairsand the maintenance of peace and order in the Settlement with theforeign members of the present Municipal Council“ should be given tothe Chinese.
Later the proposal that there should be three Chineserepresentatives on the Council was agreed to for the time being, andthey were duly elected by the Chinese Rate-payers Association, takingtheir seats in April, 1928. In addition, six Chinese representatives wereelected to seats on the Departmental committees.
Chinese Political AffairsGeneral Sun Chuan-fang, who at first had reached anunderstanding with the Peking Government, according to which hewas to control Chekiang and a part of Kiangsu, afterward determinedto make himself independent, and on October 17th, 1925, declaredwar on Marshal Chang Tso-lin. At the outbreak of hostilities, theFengtien troops in Shanghai were withdrawn. In order to obtain warsupplies, General Sun reopened the Arsenal at Lunghua, which hadbeen closed at the request of the Chinese residents after the KiangsuChekiangWar, and used it for military purposes.
He arrived in Shanghai on May 3rd, 1926, and was installedthe following day as Director-General of the Port of Shanghai andWoosung with Dr. V. K. Ting as Associate Director-General and Mayorof Greater Shanghai. Plans were made for organizing a municipality inthe environs of the Settlements on a modern basis. Unfortunately Dr.
Ting was injured in a serious automobile accident (December 13th,1926) and was obliged to resign his appointment.
Rendition of the Mixed CourtThe Chinese delegates who came to Shanghai for the settlementof the May 30th incident made the statement that “the rendition ofthe Mixed Court or setting a date for doing so“ was one of the essentialpoints to a permanent understanding between the Chinese and foreigncommunities in Shanghai.
An account has already been given of the way in which the MixedCourt passed under the authority of the Municipal Council at the timeof the Revolution of 1911. The change in the original status of theMixed Court had undoubtedly become a sore grievance in the mindsof the Chinese, and demands for rendition became insistent.
A new situation also arose owing to the fact that the Russianswho had waived the rights of extraterritoriality and come under thejurisdiction of the Chinese courts, refused to recognize the Jurisdictionof the Mixed Court and were backed up in this stand by the SovietGovernment.
Negotiations in regard to the matter were first carried on inPeking between the Diplomatic Body and the Chinese Government,but no agreement was reached. Then in April, 1926, the Consular Bodyat Shanghai undertook to settle the problem with the local Chineseauthorities.
The Chinese representatives were Dr. V. K. Ting, and Mr. HsuYuan, commissioner of Foreign Affairs at Shanghai. Both acted underinstructions from Marshal Sun Chuan-fang. After long deliberations,it was decided that the Court should come completely under theJurisdiction of Chinese Judges, except that, in cases in which a foreignerhaving extraterritorial rights or the Municipal Council is plaintiff orcomplainant, the Consul of the nationality concerned or the SeniorConsul may send an official to sit jointly with the Judge in accordancewith the provisions of the treaties.
On January 1st, 1927, Mr. N. Aall, Norwegian Consul-Generaland Senior Consul ad interim, handed over to the commissioner ofForeign Affairs the official seal of the Mixed Court.
1925 Census