Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-01-24

son mas ItCttNtu Il reuter- A4OLl AIS
brother, Bishop James w Bashford
dated Yangtse, China, December IA,
in which ne refers to his visits to diff
ferent parts of the empire during the
preceding two months He says
The Chinese as a whole are friend
ly despite the boycott. | have spent
main lines in carts or chairs or house
boats this fall and have been in con-
tact with the natives. / think It would
not be difficult to start a mob among
them; and such a mob may suddenly
arise any day through some misrepre-
sentation or some accident over which
I have no control But | like the Chi
nese immensely and never feel any
sense Of danger in being alone with
a missionary among them"
He states that he and Mrs. Bash
ford are enjoying life in that country
and send kind remembrances to in
curing friends He writes more at
length upon the existing conditions as
follows;
Il heard Doctor Arthur Smith, the
well known author of Village Life in
China Chinese characteristics. and
China in CONFUSION, say last summer
hat China has made more progress in
he last five years than any other ma
lion upon the face of the globe He
added that he did not mean that she
had increased her output of coal or
iron more than the United States, or
hat she had built more additional
miles Of railroad: but that the change
Of spirit, the new attitude she has as
sumed toward western civilization,
marks a more profound change and
indicates greater progress in China
than in any other nation in the world.
In a conversation a few days later
with Sir Robert Hart, the ablest Eng
lisbman in China If not in the entire
orient, he said that Arthur Smiths
statement is substantially correct, and
used practically the following Ian
guage:
II came to China in 1854 and for
fOrty-fiye years the Chinese empire
seemed like a closed room without a
breath of air entering from other ma
lions. Now the windows and doors
are wide open on every side and the
breezes are blowing through. We may
expect some storms, and possibly an
occasional typhoon, but the fresh air
from the world has entered China, and
she is rapidly changing from an
ancient to n modern empire He
added: Il am extremely hopeful in
regard to the future Of the empire. In
her climate. in her soil and under her
soil, China has all the human race
needs, and the Chinese are the most
cheerful, the most easily governed,
the most economic and industrious
and untiring laborers upon the face OF
the globe With such people ana
with such resources, China will as
tonish the world during the next fifty
years vastly more than Japan has as
tonished the world by her recent
progress
Bishop Bashford continues The
mineral wealth Of China-coal and
irons the greatest in the world, and
IL is al,rost untouched as yet Rail
roads ard modern inventions viii be
introduced into China during the next
few years, and with her splendid la
boring classes. China will make very
rapid advance. Sir Thomas Jackson,
manager in chief Of the Hongkong ana
Shanghai Banking corporation, says
that China is on the eve of a CONNER
cial development that in its magnI-
tude cannot be estimated You viii
remember that Japan's commerce In
creased seventeen-fold between 1858
and 1898. Chinese commerce, imports
and exports, now reach about three
hundred and fifty million year Ii
any such increase awaits as in China.
our foreign trade on the Pacific win
ne wort. vastl~ more 20 us than all
the foreign trade Of Europe. With
he recent Gripping Of Russia, with
he early completion of the Panama
canal. and with Hawaii and the Phil
ippines as a base. America ought 70
capture the great proportion Of that
trade. or at least a fair proportion OF
It, We shall show a lamentable lack
of craftsmanship, If we throw this op-
portunity and these possibilities away
through an exclusion act, which Of
tends Chinese sen iment especlall'
since We can reach the same ert BY
another method.
Il have no doubt bnt that We can