Conference Gutters

Silas Hardy Strawn, shrewd Chicago lawyer, for more than a year U. S. representative at the Chinese Extraterritoriality Conference in Peking (TIME, Aug. 31, 1925, et seq.) packed his bags last week and prepared to embark for the U. S., as the Conference broke up.

Said Mr. Strawn to newsgatherers:

"We are leaving the conference up in the air, the Chinese having run out on us.

"The War Lords are too much interested in wars to concern themselves with the ultimate best interests of the nation, the sole object of the wars being control of the customs revenue pot. I fear it will be long before anything resembling a recognizable government sits in Peking.

"In the event of the resumption, with some dependable Peking government, the conference could be brought to a satisfactory conclusion in a short time."