The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-06-03
Counting China's Millions.

We have seen no attempt to frame
a graphic conception of the stupend-
Gus aggregate OF China's millions half
SO successful as that of our veteran
American Baptist missionary, the
Rev. DR.. William Ashmore (now liv-
ing at Wollaston, Massachusetts.) 1t
was first worked out during his resi-
dence at Swatow. China. in 1888, and
printed there. But it will serve ex-
cellently we'll at the present moment
when in various relations. political.
military, and social, as well as human
itarian and religious, the worlds at
tention is being concentrated upon
China. DR.. Ashmore's method is to
imagine the population of 400,000,000
on the march in review. Before he
gets through, the readers head fairly
swims and reels at the passing of the
interminabie nCltitudes.
The authorities differ on the popu-
lation of China. The old official CEN
sus of 1912 made it 360,O0O,O00. A
late statement based On partial re-
turns puts it at 3S2,00O,O00; but it is
often quoted in round numbers at
100000, 900. DR.. Ashmore takes the
lowest of ali these figures in the call
culationS that follow. For a basis of
comparison he adopts the exodus of
before Moses, "field-marshal of the
living God" on it's march from one
country to another by the way of the
Red sea, the wilderness of Paran, and
II.
the tribes of Israel has inspired liter
ature and all the arts from that day to
this, has been celebrated in legend
and music, and yet no adequate con-
ception has probably ever been formed
of the stupendous cavalcade. But
100000 of Chinese which DR.. Ash
more arrays. To help US form the
picture he calls to mind the review of
the United Armies of the Union at
HTszc hi INV
body privileged to possess a seat for
that pageant has talked of it ever
since. For Witnessing the review of
China's hundreds of millions DR.. Ash
Make them good and strong, able to
endure pelting storms and changes of
season. for it is no holidays work you
are settled down to-
Twelve hours a day is long march
ing. but he proposes keeping the vast
army of living men, women, and chill
dren going at that rate. Further
more. he makes them march in close
order: and not only that, but in ''lock-
STEP" allowing but a foot and half
a half feet TO each man allowed in
military close-order marching. Twenty
miles a day is good work for a column
on the march, and at that rate each
million will require fourteen days in
passing.
And now with all things ready the
grand old missionary starts the col
umns and review on the first day of
June. He marshals the Chinese by
their great provinces. First comes
Chilli the capital province of the en-
pire, about the size of the state of Illi-
nois. In that space is packed popu-
lation of 27,990,871. They will reach
1852 miles, nearly, and the line will
stretch from the steps of the capitol
at Washington, across the continent.
and far away into the fiddle of the
Pacific ocean, and will require S97
days in passing
|'You see you are in for it, says
DR.. Ashmore; you thought you would
sit it out on that line if it took all sum-
mer, but summer comes and summer
goes and there you are still; lay in a
stock of coal, for winter will be upon
you before a quarter of them have
gone by; autumn passes, winter
passes. spring passes, and you are we'll
into the heat of a second summer be-
fore YOU have seen the last of that
and that is only one column.
After that there will be fifteen more
columns. and the procession will have
been over thirteen years in passing"
E. H. Clement, in Harper's Weekly.