Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-09-06
At Bay For Many Years
to Come.
Opinion Of Representative of
Goodrich Company.
Gives His Reasons For His Views
Poor Water Supply.

William G.. Gorham, the Pacific
coast representative of the Goodrich
Rubber company, has recently return
ed from China.
Mr.. Gorham is well known in Ak
ron, having been frequent visitor 10
this city in connection with his busl-
ness transactions for the company by
which he is employed.
From his observations, made while
in China, he is in good position to
give an opinion relative to the situa-
tion there and the prospects of a
speedy subjugation of the Empire. The
Sunday Cali, published at San Francis,
co, contains the following from the
pen of Mr.. Gorham:
81 do not believe that it Is possible
for all the allied powers, no matter
what may be the plan of attack, nor
how mighty the facilities to- conquer
or subdue China My opinion is based
upon facts as | have observed them.
First of all the impossibility of main
tanning even a small army anywhere
near the Chinese Empire. There is no
water to drink, no food to eat, and the
nearest source Of supply is In Japan,
three days joufney-a source that
would soon become exhausted. What
water there is in China is impure and
unfit to drink, requiring to be boiled
and filtered. In China there Is no
such thing as sanitation. and at such
times as this man and beast alike are
left unburied. Supposing a coast at
tack should result in the killing of a
few thousand Chinese,as it must TO be
i'm any measure successful. The dead
Chinese would be left unburied upon
the field and the army would be unable
to advance because of the consequent
impurification Of all drinking water
and the stencil. And If advance We're
possible the continued killing neces.
sary to progress would continue the
conditions and advance to any ex-
tent would leave open chances for side
attack The interior is peopled to the
density of swarming fieas, and every
foot of advance would have to be
made over decaying dead bodies, rem
dering necessary the impossible water
supply from the rear. AS to food, the
enemy can subsist comfortably upon
small bunch of rice for a week, and
the soldiers of civilization would have
to draw substantial supplies from the
rear also.
Again, in ordinary warfare the
Df nd tha s.tpil.i inc N
terror is powerful element with
which to subdue. That is another i'm
possibility in China. The Chinese are
absolutely Indifferent to the fate OF
their fellowmen and fearless as to
their own.
admitting the possibility of food
supply by oceanic transport service
there is the difficulty of carrying the
supplies to the interior. In China
there are no beasts of burden except
the coolie,w who could not well be press
ed into service. China's railroads and
all the railroads leading into China
are in bad repair, if not entirely brok-
ell up and useless.
"The only method of creating any
thing like a submissive spirit in the
Chinese, it seems to me, would be to
promptly seize and put to death all
high Chinese officials and dignitaries.
Such an act would break the faith of
the Chinese in the infallibility of the
exalted rulers and the unimpeachable
joss.
"All things being considered,w without
undue pessimism, 1t is my opinion that
II will he great deal nearer to the
Judgment day before China is con-
quered.