The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-09-07
As TO China's Adoption Of Western
Methods.

As to thtna's III WESTERN
Methods.
Could the Chinese reforners ave their
way and effect an economic revolution In
their country through the establishment
Of an honest and wise government and
through the general Introduction Of machin-
ely, improved agricultural and manufact-
urng processes and adequate transpor-
tatioh facilities. would the OutcOm, prove
OF bancft g. Western peoples from an In
dustrial and commercial point 81 View
When We insisted upon the opening
OF the japanese ports, It was taken Tor
granted that we had thereby assured 10
American and European manuiacturers
valuable customers for all time to come.
As a matter II fact. no sooner he'd
the Hkado's subjects passed through
a brief period II instruction and assimila-
ton than they nut oniy set to work 10 supply
their own requirements. but became for
midable competitors IN certain lines Of
manufactures throughout the markets OF
the Far East, rs well as aspTants for a large
part Of the carrying trade In that quarter
Of the globe. last year In the port Of New
chwang. for example, the Japanese vessels.
In respect Of number and tonnage. ranked
next 70 those Of Great britain. and far ex-
decided those Of all other treaty Powers put
together. For some time Japan has vent
ured TO appear ~ a commercial rival Of
England III RnEland's own port Of Stnga-
pore. and she Is already stretching forth
hor hand toward British India. Should
Japan progrss at the present rate for
ffty years. and should China n~eanwhile
remain dormant, the former country should
be able TO monOpolize most 81 tie Asiatio
markets that can be reached by sea,
II this be the actual and prospective
result Of commanding Western methods
20 japan with its population Of forty mil
lions, what should we have 20 expect were
the field Of commercial competition 10 bo
entered by China with its fou hundred
million inhabitants. who are willing to
work longer and harder for less money
than sven the ia. Gnese2 We are in
debted to Mr.. ALLEYNE IRELAND for
a timely discussion % tho subject In
the current number Of tho North American
Reriey. he reminds US that a Chinaman
can gu Swork and und"rlive any other lahorer
IN the world. having been trained to toll
for a few cents twelve or fourteen hours
q day and TO sutsit on a few bowls Of rico.
His capacity FOR severe and prOtraoted
labor under the most rigorous conditions
In respect OF nourishment Ii the outcome
OF q struggle for edstence which has lasted
-four thousand years and has resulted In
the survival Of the fttest TO endure hard
ship and prfvstion. Now. whar is II prob
able that scores Of millions Of suoh men
could accomplish II Wertorn machinery
and processes were applied 20 the devol-
opment Of the i~mmeasurable natural re-
sources of their country? We say I'M
measurable, because the productiveness
OF most Of the soil Of China proper is at
least equal 10 that ~ any equal area IN the
world, and because VoE RICHrHovEH,
the German GeologiSt, who spoke from
first hand observation, estimated thai the
single Province of Shansi could suppiy
the whore worlds Necessities IN coal and
iron. at the present rate of consumption,
FOR three thousand years Under these
circumstances what degree Of expansion
would China's export Of domestic produce
be likely to undergo. II her people should
generally adopt Western methods. as their
reformers urge them to dol
Ry way Of prellratiou GOV a. anrwCr
t. chat question. Mr.. IRELAND points out
that in 1897 the exports Of the United King
dom were valued at 81. 100000. or S20.25
per capita; those Of the United States,
at 81 .Os2. 90. OOO. or sl4.74 per capita: those
Of Germany. at $50. ON, no.. or sI7u per
capita; those Of France. ~ s7i0oOn,Oo0.
or SIS IS per capita; and those Of China,
at tl7o.00O.Ooo. or thirty cents per capita
Giving China the benefit of a probable
overestimafA Of population, and ~ n pos
sible Underestimate Of exports. and placing
her exports at forty cents per capita. which
IL pronounced n ibsral allowance. Mr..
IHYLASD draws from the above figures To
deduction that. at the present time, It takes
fifty Cinnamon tO place on the world
market an amount Of produce equal 70
that sent forth by one American or one
European. Now let us suppose. says Mr..
IHRLAsD, that, for ten consecutive Years,
China should Rdnpt Western methods 70 an
extent that should still leave one white
man eQnal TO five Cinnamon IN productive
efficiency: the result would be. II the cal
oulation were based on the ng4res given
above. that China's exports would AMOUNT
10 not less than 1900 ~. 900. a sum equal
10 the total combined value 81 domestic
exportS from Germany ard France In 1897,
and representing IS per cont, OF the total
exports from tue United States and the
United Kingdom put together. Even II
the application Of Weste-n methods should
stop at this point. It Is obvious TINT China
would become a most formidable oompoti-
tor Of Americans and European. in tho
markets Of the world
1t may BE- objected that China would
hud a difficulty in securing consumer for
such a great quantity a her PRODUCE be-
cause In somo countries a strong prejudice