The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-09-22

1T NAY be that the foreign powers
nov gathered about and 50. solicit
- touslv watching their holdings IN
China are moved by disinterested re-
gard for the hapless MAnchurian dy-
nasty. which some consider as about
to round out its 500 years and more OF
existence with an abdfeation- But mis-
would be contrary 10 all traditions and
teachings OF history. and the bare sup
position would be met by the asnute
diplomats OF any first class power with
smiles Of incredullty-
They would assure you, II they Al
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
10 be some milk left in the Chinese Co
coanut. II not.-then why this persistent
and long continued shaking OF the tree
and this unseemly scramble for the
fruit thereof2
Said a well known clergyman of Bos-
ton about 30 years ago when he found
stretch of beautiful shore on the coast
Of New EnzIandf for SALE 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.
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
good thing when ne saw it, he also
knew there was likely to be a 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
r1tories- Casting a 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 a small portion
OF the globe remains unexplored- Flu
ture generations. therefore. viii have
TO sit at home by the chimney corner.
with no outlet for their ambitions and
no possibilities for adding to the gar
nered treasures of the world
The world Of the nineteenth century
was indeed practically a squeezed Or
ange, and explorers. animated by the
high desire TO add to scientific knOwl-
edge not to speak of rulers DESTROYS OF
charging their material acquisitions
territorial and commercial. were in de-
spair, when just at the right moment.
in the nick Of tme-as always happens
in the distribution of benefits by a
bountiful Creator, as recall the diseov-
cry Of coal. petroleum, natural gas. etc.
China doomed large in the eye of the
universe. 1t suddenly came home TO all
that here at last was the opportunity
of the century Here was the orange
which. through the vicissitudes of cen
turieS past. has been preserved intact,
in order that it might eventually be
squeezed And doubt not that it will
be, for. though the powers may seem to
be pondering on the momentous ques-
ton, To squeeze or not TO squeeze"
they viii never r4ax their grip upon
the oriental fruit plucked in the gar
dens OF Hesperides SO long as a drop of
juice remains.
But there is the squeeze legitimate
and the squeeze illegitimate, the latter
being peculiarly the Chinese method.
consisting in taking commerce by the
throat and strangling its life out by ex-
sections like the -'likin" or local tax A
mutually OF interests viii prevent the
powers from adopting this method
They viii be more likely to pursue the
grander scheme OF apportioning Chi
nese territory among themselves for
exploitation, to the lasting benefit of