Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-09-18

TT MAY be that the foreign powers
now gathered about and SO solicit
tously watching their holdings in
China are moved by a disinterested re-
gard for the hapless Manchurian dy-
nasty, which some consider as about
to round out it's 300 years and more of
existence with an abdication. But this
would be contrary to all traditions and
teachings of history, and the bare sup
position would be met by the astute
diplomats of any first class power with
smiles of incredulity.
They would assure you, If they all
lowed themselves to speak the truth
though diplomats are said to hold the
truth in such high esteem as rarely to
presume upon familiar acquaintance
with it-that the sole reason for this
concern in the affairs of their oriental
neighbor is that there is still supposed
to be some milk left in the Chinese CO.
coanut. If not, then why this persistent
and long continued shaking of the tree
and this unseemly scramble for the
fruit thereof?
Said well known clergyman of Bos-
ton about 40 years ago when he found a
stretch of beautiful shore on the coast
of New England for sale: 1.-THE Almighty
isn't going to make any more country
like this, at least during my lifetime,
and I'm bound to get all I can of it. J"
Acting upon this assumption, he in
vested all the money he could raise.
and the result is that his heirs today
may be classed with the millionaires.
The reverend gentleman knew a
good thing when he saw it," he also
knew there was likely to be dearth of
good things of the character he covet-
ed. His attitude seems to be that of
the great powers in their dealings with
China.
Either tacitly or avowedly, the pre-
miers of Europe are constantly on the
lookout for new worlds to conquer.
Their reasonings are various, but their
conclusions lead UP to the same result:
That they must extend the borders of
their empires, the confines Of their ter
ritories. Casting comprehensive
glance over the map of the world to-
day, what large extent of territory can
we find unappropriated or susceptible
of profitable exploitation? Civilized
man has carried his conquests almost
from pole to pole; he has traversed the
burning sands of the Sahara, scaled the
snow capped Himalayas and penetrat-
ed the remotest recesses of the Andes
with the result that but small portion
of the globe remains unexplored. Flu
ture generations, therefore, will have
to sit at home by the chimney corner
with no outlet for their ambitions ant
no possibilities for adding to the gar
nered treasures Of the world.
Al.
was indeed practically squeezed or
ange, and explorers, animated by the
high desire to add to scientific knowl
edge. not to speak OF rulers DESTROYS o,
enlarging their material acquisitions
territorial and commercial, We're in de-
spair, when just at the right moment
in the nick of time-as always happen:
in the distribution of benefits by {
bountiful Creator, as recall the discov,
J cry Of coal, petroleum, natural gas, etc
China doomed large in the eye of the
universe. It suddenly came home to al
that here at last was the opportunit,
of the century. Here was the orang,
which, through the vicissitudes of cen
turtles past, has been preserved intact
In order that it might eventually b,
squeezed. And doubt not that it will
be, for, though the powers may seem t.
be bordering on the momentous ques
ton, ITO squeeze or not to squeeze,
they will never r6ax their grip upol
the oriental fruit plucked in the gar
dens of Hesperides SO long as drop O
Juice remains.
But there is the squeeze legitimat,
and the squeeze Legitimate. the latte
being peculiarly the Chinese method
consisting in taking commerce by thu
throat and strangling its life out by ex
actions like the "likin" or local tax. 4
mutually of interests will prevent tn,
powers from adopting this method
They will be more likely to pursue TIN
& grander scheme of apportioning Chi
nese territory among themselves TO
exploitation, to the lasting benefit o