The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-07-17
No Such Thing as China.
From nv Ninsssnth Crpury Rsrf-p.

From nv Ninssenfh CrpSrp Rsrfsn.
We are accustomed TO speak OF China and 'the
Chinese people as II they were distinct entities
THIS Is an error at the bottom Of many Of our mis-
takes and COMMISSIONS. We may use the word China
as a convenient expression to connote a certain vas,
portion Of the earth's surface, but In no more exact
sense. What figures as China on the map is a mum.
Der Of districts often separated from each other and
from the centre by immense distances, differing widely
In climate, resources and conn suration. Inhabited by
people Of largely varying race. temperament. habit,
religion and Ian Ruase.
The Mohammedans. Of whom there are thirty mil.
lions. regard the Buddhists as irreligious foreigners,
The inha bitants Of tho central and northern Prov
inces. says Mr. Keane. scarcely regard those OF the
extreme southeast districts as fellow eoun,rymen a,
all" A native OF Shanghai was heard to say. There
were seven Cinnamon and two Cantonese A man
from Tien Tsin and . man from Canton can no more
talk TO each other than can a Frenchman and q
Du,chman. Moreover. there exists between them a vr
ulen, race hatred. I los, the best Chinese ser ant I evel
had because, being from the north. nothing would
induce him 20 accompany me In the south OF China
where bis speech would have betrayed him. Canton.
csc velly bad man. master. he said TO me; II go home. -
This curious inter hatred is conspicuous where Chi
nese from different parts Of China meet together, as
for example, In Bangkok. or on the plantations 10
Mdi8yh y " u puNCn ihuioo W nBu
are Of Gun slant occurrence. Consequently It Is easy
TO raise a force OF Chinese In one place to night Chi
n sse In another.
Il because there Is no such thing q, "China' tina,
the military caste Of the Manchus. comparatively In.
nnitesimal In numbers. have been able 10 Impose thei,
rule upon the enormous masses Of Chinese. Thus Il
Is unwise to predicate an yshing Of China as a whole,
or 70 believe that what suits one part will necessarily
suit another.
Over the Heterogeneous and con ntcting masses Of
China there has never been any effective central con
troll, and what control there has been has steadily
crown weaker. The "vermilion pencil'' makes faint
mark in the south. while in the southwest and e1.
treme northwest Il has little but an academic innu
ence. and on the Thibetan borders none al all. RE
spect thisl" appended TO every imperial rescrlptin the
Psktno Gdssns is as far from ~actuality as The 'Oye,'
Of the usher with US, or the challenge Of the Queens
champion at the coronation. There Is, therefore. no,
the slightest possibility Of tho establishment by Chi.
nese authority OF a national army. or navy. or civil
service. And the corruption which Is The fatal curse
Of China Is directly due TO the fact that there Is
not and cannot be any central authority TO exercise
control over local ~ofncials, or, 10 the absence OF this
TO pay them. The Chinese people. In the Ian ua u
OF physics. Il a mechanical mixture and not a chemi
cal compound. and therefore II Is irresponsive to Inc
action Of any single reagent and incapable Of ex
hlbiting any common property.