Arizona republican., 1907-06-09
COUNTING cHiNA'S MILLIONS.

We have seen no attempt 10 frame
 graphic conception of the stupend-
 ous aggregate of 'China's millions half
 so successful as that Of our veteran American Baptist missionary. the
 Rev. pr. William Ashmore now liv-
 ing at Wollaston. Massachusetts. It was first worked out during his resi-
 dence at Swatow. China. in 1888. and
 printed there. But it will serve ex- cellently well 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 4O0.00O. 900 on the march in review. Before he gets through. the readers head fairly swims and reels at the passing of the interminable multitudes.
 The authorities differ on the popula- ton of China. The old official cen- sus of 1912 made it 3s0.00O.0 900 A late statement based on partial re- turns puts il at 3S2. 100000; but it is often quoted in round numbers at 400. .00c, ,0OO. pr. Ashmore takes the lowest of all these figures in the cal citations that follow. For a basis of comparison he adopts the exodus of the nation of 6.0O0.000 which passed 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 the River Jordan. This pageant of the tribes of Israel has inspired liter sture and all the arts from that day to this has been celebrated in legend and music. and vet no adequate con- o,ption has probably ever been formed of the stupendous cavalcade. But that was 6.000,0OO as against the 360.- 0O0.00O 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 Washington after the civil war Any body privileged to possess a seat for trat pageant has talked of il ever since. For witnessing the re jew of China's hundreds of millions nr. Ash more warns us to get ready our tents. Make them good and strong. able tn endure peltins storms and changes If 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 chil- dren going at that rate. Further more. he makes them march in close order. and not only that. but in flock step" allowing but a foot and a har to each person instead of the two an, halF faa n.I, .rl II 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. Firs. comes Chihil. the central province of the em- pire. about the size of the state of Illi- nois. In that Space is packed popu- lstion of 27,990.S71. They will reach | 1852 miles, nearly, and the line will | from the steps of the capitol | at Washington, across the continent. l and far away into the middle of the | Pacific ocean and will require 397 | days in passing.
 You see you are in for It." says | pr. Ashmore. you thought you would | sitit 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- 'ofe you have seen the last of that | column. 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.
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