Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-04-23
Ever-Varying Scenery Along the
Yang-tse-Kiang.
WHERE ENGLISH INTERESTS PREVAIL
The River Drains a Territory Of
limitless Possibilities.
SPLENDORS OF SHANGHAI


In the scramble for China, Britain's place
in the Interests of herself and of the world
is in the Yang-tse valley. Even as it is,
dominate the most magnificent. most
viri.e territory in the world. There is moth
ing TO be compared with it, not even upon
the banks of the great rivers of Ameri'a.
1t Is territory of illimitable possibilities.
for it constitutes all that is best worth
having in China. 1t is the richest in the
empire. and with its undeveloped oppor
tunities the richest in the world. 1t IS tie
tea garden of the historic tea country. 1t
il the birthplace of the discovery of silk.
IL cuts China i'm half. ard 1t is a belt mag
Eifcent TO the eye and jeweled with the
brightest gems of commerce.
For ::.HS miles down to the gates of tie
'-modal settlement" Shanghai. the me-
trOpClis Of the far east is called, flowing in
graceful bends between opulent valleys.
th- NInS-tse-Kiarg makes it's stately way.
THIS noble stream. which waters IA TT gion
OF enhancing loveline*s, is natures ready
carrier for the produce of 1O0,UOU square
miles Of the most wonderful soil in the
world. There points at which ii eX
y nds into an inland sea. So that the trav
eier. standing Upon the deck of one of the
many nne English built liners that con-
rect Shanghai and Hankow. may look in
vain for The banks that hedge this colossal
artery men there are turDS which sun
denly switch the voyager INTO a detile of
steep and rugged rocks. quantity jagged.
as with stony arms they shake hands. one
frownins crag with another, over the dark
waters below. IL Is a veritable Scylla and
Charybdis: and fiercely runs the pent-in
river. that the laboring must
cfurn the racing waters with will If the
ship is To be forced clear. Almost as
quickly ii closes, the Yang tSe-kiang,
again witening. will disclose another sweep
OF sunny valley.
\ Glorious Panorama.
Ih- great river is an ever-varying pam
Drama. which day in and day out passes
slowly before the eye. 1t is river of sur
prises. Far away ahead just where the
sun shines the eye falls upon a patch. as
IL seems. of glinting, flashing molten silver
QuiVering around a dark object. The one
you take to be a lake, the other is accepted
a. = miniature island in the lake; but in a
little while the island is seen distinctly
to move. 10 be coming down in the line OF
your course up the river, just as Birnam
Wood in the legend was seen moving upon
DuIiSilaur- At the next turn of the bend
OF the stream strange sight presents it
sell III - HOatlnS farm, with rice stacks.
houses, horses, coWS-thoSe queer river
cows with the head of the hippopotamus-
black slow, stolid. reflective beasts-pigs
On the romp and men plating wattlas;
Into chairs, and women cooking or wash
Ing OF nursing. The foundation is a huge
Ii-l and his floating village, probably two
RS M extent, has come. thus strangely
.i'li'ptl, Tor Il thousand miles. laden with
a S-rtS al IroduCe. How such seemingly
IL wiedy mass is got through the gulli4s
Constitutes. it must be said. a puzzle that
Il ~ b. ADDED to the gifts of d nation ira
Ciilondlly rich in puzzles. Raft, produce
AMI Passengers are their way down to
tn coast or to towns like Hankow Kiu-
king. Wu-Hu. Marking or Chinkiang. or
IT, smaller ports which essentially native.
fe>ter ir their filth of thousands.
Wealth is n Crime.
These towns are numerous and some of
trem are. from trading as well as a Eu-
roPedn point of View, places of importance
But between them there are long tracts of
open AMI wooded country glorious in it's
wealth "f uncultivated vegetation, which
cniy awaits reclamation by the pioneer 1t
might b. made to grow rice for the world
1t grows wattlas only. Wealth is a crime
In thinI and to conceal its possession is a
virtue The owner of the soil cultivates
Naltles because to cultivate rice would
bring hun under the suspicion of the taoti
and subject himself TO the "saueeze'' of
the tax satherer. So he remains poor thai
he may remain untaxed. That is political
t. 1n"Hy as she is taught in China.
bile at Tientsin | was carried by an
eminen. European resident into a native
street. and was presented to dismal indi-
VitlaI in Il squalid house. reeking of filth.
NJ friend informed me later that | had
Den with a subject of the emperor who
m!-ht put down sovereign for sovereign
with Lrrd Rothschild- He simulated pow
efiE 10 escape the taoti. who, as il was
taxed HIM and squeezed him on suspicion
Up 70 the income OF an English chancellor
o. the CNch=quer. 1t is the fear of taxa
ton that depresses native enterprise in
CANA and keeps the valley of the Yang-tse
1Or tAe greater part glorious wilderness.
British Interests.
1t VIII Tee observed by a visitor, howeve
brief his visit may be, that at each of the
river ports up to Tchang, British interests
II Will not say British iniuence-are in
the ascendant. We hold three fourths of
ever material acquisition held by the En-
l. pedu community. We have more: We
have ~ per cent of the trade, and We have
~ per cent Of the enterprise and OF the
wealth We employ ~ per cent of the pop
u!fiIui.-iisHsiily coolies willing to work for
Is ret lie wills. Our ''go-downs'' are four
TO one in number of the 'go-downs' of all
The other European residents combined.
Our share of the bund is four times great
er than that of Germany and France COM
blntu. with Russia thrown in Our CONSUL
ates are the noblest in appearance; our res
tdemiai average is fourfifths of that of the
I,>t vi the white community. Our system
or government is the best; our reputation
STANDS highest in the scale for fair dealing;
and Over and above all We practically work
the whole trade of the river ports under
the British flag. We have, in short, in one
eel -. an unchallenged and an lnchal-
leLgeIble asCehdancy in the Yang-tse val
ley. which, English in its natural aspect
SEE ms 10 have been created by providence
10 DC the home and the tneater of British
enterprise.
The origin OF the Yang-tse- Klang Is the
Yaicng krang and the i<inch Kiang which
rise in the bills of Tibet. IL passes from its
dual source in Sechuen and Yunnan 70 de-
grevs ~ minutes N, 1U2 degrees Z. 1t
waters SechGen, HOopeh, Ngan-hoei, and
kEias-~U, .Ind joins the sea by an estuary
thirty miles across in y degrees NJ III
degrees l.. It's total course Is estimated
at :,.G'p miles. and at many parts ii may
be said 10 WrigBle its way down to the sea.
Its silt or mud has surrounded Shanghai
u rtdial area of 100 miles with land. At
low seasons the tide runs up for 30 miles
and beyond this point the river is nayisable
Tor l,Hb miles In the summer, after the
mountain SHOWS have melted il will rise
at HdaApw 20 feet. and has been known to
rise >" feet and lower down for miles
boats sail on water twenty miles in width
over what is marked on the map as dry
Land.
still a Potent Force.
We are stiil potent force in the Yang
tse valley. although for years Great Brit
ain has been steadily losing her ascend