Arizona republican., 1904-02-03
THE A, 8, c's OF THE FAR EAST.
Facts About China and the Chinese-A
 Civilization Without Nerves.


 Has China anything to do with the trouble between Russia and Japan?
 Indirectly it is the bone of contention Were it not for the great Middle king dom" Korea would hardly be worth fighting over. The country in control of Korea would have an advantageous position for extending it's influence in the event of partition of China
 How Large is China?
 It Is about a third larger than the United States, but it has five times the population of America.
 Why are the Chinese supposed to constitute the yellow peril?"
 Emperor William gave them that name. He argued that they were a menace 70 western civilization.
 Does their civilization, then, differ so much from that of Europe and Am erica?
 In almost every fundamental respect. The Chinese is an enigma to the west erner because his idea of happiness and consequently his whole code of morals and conduct differs from that of the Occidental.
 Does he care for physical comfort" His house and clothing are as incon-
 
 simple matter as absence of pockets he shows his disregard for western com fort and convenience. Although tae northern provinces are cold in winter the houses are not heated artificially even when fuel is accessible. Pill lows are blocks of wood or bricks. Do the Chinese suffer physically from these discomforts? The rl1Ortality ic al Ilxr nfoh result, but the people do not seem to l feel their discomforts keenly. Are not their nerves so sensitive as those of western peoples? l While this subject has not been thor oughly investigated there is a wide be- lief among foreign residents that the Chinese nervous system is less sensi- tive than that of Europeans and Amer jeans. Chinese babies, for instance are exceedingly stolid They will lie | awake without moving for hours. A Chinese laborer will maintain strain ed position all day without inconven- fence, and Chinese patients in hospit- als will undergo operations without wincing which could not be performed on westerner without the use of an aesthetics.
  | influence the Chinese character? l Most conspicuously. perhaps. in pro- ducing lack of sympathy and cruelty | There is none of the western humani- tarian feeling toward those in distress Little attention is paid to smallpox be- cause it's victims are chiefly children Brides are frequently so badly treated | by their mothers-in-law that they com init suicide. A Chinese official has de- | tended the cruel and unusual punish ment inflicted on criminals on tht ground that the men really do not sui | fer so severely as Europeans suppose.
 But has the absence of keen nerves no good effect?
 Yes. It probably helps to accoun for the extreme industry of the Chi nese and for their contentment.
 Have they not, theoretically at least the western regard for justice. sheer ity and honesty?
 Their conceptions of these, as ot most other qualities, is radically diff ferent from that held in Europe an, America. They have no sense of ab stract justice and they GO not desir, | it. Their idea of justice is the satis faction of certain social usages. Tn case must be decided so as to satisf, the local requirements of everybod, ! concerned. Chinese sincerity has bee, completely swallowed up by the re Cuirements of politeness. The Amert can not-at-hone to callers is extendet through every relation of life. Trutl telling is not a common virtue, al though Chinese business men are gen erally scrupulously honest.
 Would the nations which are tryin; to partition China meet with a stronl patriotic resistance?
 There is little patriotism of the west ern sort in China. The people are in different toward the government. Il foreign wars various provinces hay been willing to make peace independ ently of the rest of the empire. At tn same time there is a racial solidarit. ard a national spirit exists among tn educated men who are leaders of tn anti-foreign outbreaks. The foreign CTS they regard as anarchists who ar attempting to overturn society and s are to be kept out. But the devotion to the empire which the German, 10 instance, feels for the fatherland, rare ly appears.
 Is China, then, believed to be wort fighting over?
 Western commercial interests thinl so, for they see vast possible marke in 400 millions of Chinese. But man observers believe the poverty of tn people will prevent the development O "a large trade for several decades, d least.
 Will China probably be divided soon
 Only the travelled correspondent who write the books know, and the won't tell.
 HATS OF ECRU AND STRAW.