The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-12-09
PROGRESS IN CHINA.

Vat Sen, the CnlneSe FeloliAef, VIZ
spent several months in Honolulu, ha
been extensively circulated and has at
tracted much attention in the Easter
states. 1t is strongly written and very
condensed and lucid in expression. !!
dweIls considerably on the relation o.
China to the United States and to the
extension of commercial relations be-
tween the two nations.
With the conclusions of the pamphlets
that is the practical measures pro-
posed-it is not within the province OF
American Journalism to deal But the
historical facts presented are of great
interest and, except to a specialized few,
probably unknown. 1t is brought to
the notice of our people that the Man
ohu dynasty was established by the
capture of Pekin in 1914 through coup
de guerre in the midst of a great civil
war. and has ever since maintained its
authority by terrible massacres, by the
extinction of ancient literature and by
the destruction of all freedom of the
press or among the people. Ii is claimed
that now the entire number of Man
chus. who are treated as Tartars, is
less than five millions and that the
Chinese proper number about four hum
dred millions and are virtually without
a government except an iron and re-
pressive autocracy.
NJ c14ra Va Soy, further insists that
the Western nations are under a great
rnisapprehension when they suppose the
.Chineee to be a seclusive people. He al
ludes to various facts in confirmation
of the proposition that, prior to 1914.
they maintained close relations with
their neighbors and were very friendly
to missionaries and to foreign traders
The HISTORIAN tablet at Sian Flu is
mentioned as clear exposition of the
work of missionaries as far back as
the seventh century. The Introduction
and spread of the Buddhist faith, the
conversion of a Prime Minister under
thu Ming dynasty to the Christian re-
ligion, and numerous other matters, are
grouped together as demonstrating the
statement.
1t is circumsf antially asserted that
the policy of seclusion originated with
the Manchu or Tartar dynasty. that
the empire was closed to foreign trade;
that missionaries were deported; that
native Christians We're massacred, and
that emigration was prohibited. It is
zurtheg declared that the Manchus cam
not reform the country because five
millions are despotically controlling
four hundred millions, and because the
administration of the Government is
not only fossilfzed but rotten. Ten spec
ifications of wrongs inflicted under the
Tartar rule are condensed summary
of leading points in our Declaration of
independence.
The most important element in this
brochure. however. is its statements of
the present condition of the Chinese
people. THE whole nation, it is de-
clared. sis ripe for revolution To
prove this references are made to the
Weichow uprising of 1900, to the coup
de main which failed at Canton in 1902,
to the steady growth and expansion of
the Chinese Patriotic Society, which
has existed for two hundred years and
is now advancing with rapid strides,
and TO the trend of the Chinese press in
the direction OF democracy. 1t is claim
ed that eighty per cent of the Chinese
population or three hundred and TWEEN
ty millions, belong to this organization,
which is known in the United States
as the Chinese Free Mason Society. The
existence of a cultured minority of gen
uine Chinese who are touched by the
spirit of modern progress seems to be
established.
The interest of the American people
in the facts and suggestions thus
brought together converges upon the
possible results of the present war in
the Orient. Two antagonistic policies
are argued all over the world. On the
one side the forcible partition of China,
In order to drive the wedge OF COM
merce into the heart OF the empire, is
advocated. On the other side the pres
ervation of Chinese autonomy and in
dependence, with the adoption of lib
eral policy that would open the closed
door to the competition and eivilizing
influence of the great powers is far
more forcibly presented It is this out
come of the struggle, to which, by
treaties and by their internal concep-
tons of liberty and order the United
States, Great Britain and Japan ara
committed. The open door, is the
terse compression of the highest views
entertained by the nations. and the
story of Manchuria is regarded as plen-
airy evidence of the danger of occupa-