i86  THE  CHINESE  EMPIRE  ^
ltœ|î§i3
of  the  American  treaties,  but,  under  the  xhis
nation  ”  clause,  of  all  the  treaties  made  wit  ere i y  a
makes  of  him  a  diplomatic  representative,  State
representative  of  the  Minister  at  Peking,  u  u e  i ia s
Department  at  Washington  ;  and  in  t  ns  C M?  on  the
by
in  European  countries.  country  of  weak
In  cases  of  riot  and  disturbance  in  must  be
government,  the  foreign  military  and  nava  o  -ptie
called  in  to  give  due  protection  to  their  na  10
Consul  is  the  natural  diplomatic  intermediary  \
Chinese  officials,  and  all  representations,  by  way  ^  ^
suasion  or  of  ultimatum,  must  pass  through  um ”  .  anC p
him  alone  to  judge  when  the  toga  must  yie  °  a  ’  •  ^
added  to  all  his  other  responsibilities,  he  is  the  ^entcrv
authority  in  control  of  the  armed  forces  of  his  own  ^
By  virtue  of  extraterritoriality  direct  ac  ion  ^
a  foreigner’s  person  or  estate  can  only  be  taken  r0  8_
own  Consul,  and  in  the  case  of  an  arrest  for  con  rav
of  municipal  regulations  it  is  by  him  that  the  pi  isoner
be  tried.  The  foreign  communities  are  little  self-govcrn  ^
and  self-taxing  republics,  each  in  its  square  mile  or  w °^
territory,  but  even  against  their  own  members  those  c°
munities  cannot  act  through  their  own  courts,  whic
Hot.  exist  mnnicirvnl  O  rrûcl  OfQ  TT1  V)ld*S,  ^6