Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-21
I'm MODERN CHINA
1.-The Great World Problem
By Frederic j Haskin

gle of the United States to enforce It's
will as one of the equal great powers
OF the international family has hardly
begun.
TO build I'D a commerce on the Pa
cific, to prepare to realize return upon
the enormous investment In the Pana-
ma canal, to lay the foundation for
foreign market for American manufac-
lures in the Orlent-these are duties
which devolve upon the American
statesmen of the day. To realize these
goals the Americans must needs have
equal rights and equal opportunities IN
China. The only hope for such equal
itv lies In the actual existence of the
open door. The open door will not and
cannot be more than q pleasant dipio-
matte fiction until China Is confirmed
In its sovereign powers and Is repos-
sessed of It's invaded rights.
Every great political question in his
tory, even those In which religion
seemed to play the principal part, has
had It's origin In the Fundamental
bread and butter Issue. The economic
necessity of the development of the un-
touched mineral resources of China, to-
gether with the raising of the Chinese
standard of living by means OF the IN
PRODUCTION of western civilization,
means that the almighty dollar will
hold court among the Celestials. That
taCI cOIHpeIS lub 1ibSlCSN Va thS WIN.
China is being modernlzed. The
"awakenlng," so long predicted for the
future, is now an accomplished faet'
Conservative China has undergone
more rapid and radical change in the
decade since the Boxer outbreak than
any nation has ever experienced In the
same length of time--not even except
ing Japan during the esa of reforma-
/ China nOt
made itself over on western lines, nor
will 1t ever do so. But 1t is fact that
the Chinese have decided once for all
| to take what Is good In the occidental
| life and adapt it to their own needs
| and conditions.
| Entirely apart from its political sig
niflcanee, this great social revolution in
! China is a fact of tremendous impor-
tance to future history. Its coincidence
with the continent-wide Aslatic re-
| nascence Is more than merely interest
| Ing for 1t means the downfall OF the
citadel of oriental conservatism. The
advent of the Chinese people, possessed
of a high order of intellect into the
company hitherto exclusively occiden-
tai, will have a much greater effect
upon the world thought than did the
appearance of the japanese In their
| borrowed western clothes. The Chi
nese will not adopt western manners
after the initiative fashion of the Jap
anese, but they will take western learn
! ing and adapt 1t to their own pur-
| poses. Men now living probably VIII
see the day when the Chinese will have
part in the onward and upward march
| of science and philosophy.
I Whether the occident should look
with alarm upon awakening Asia. led
| by daring and cunning Japan. backed
up by wise and massive China and
mysterious and subtle India, is ques-
| ton for the distant future. The "yel-
low peril" will be nothing more than
an academic bugbear for generations
| to come. The questions at issue must
be fought out in Asia before Asia can
| invade the rest of the world, either
with armies of soldiers or armies OF
commerce. At this time no one knows
whether the Asiatic activity portends
| trouble for the long-dominant whites
| of the occident or whether 1t Is merely
the beginning of a millennial era of
a common civilization which shall bear
the world on toward the goal OF the
| universal brotherhood of man.
|
| Viewed from any standpoint, the Chi
nese question is of overwhelming In
lterest-political, Industrial, commercial,
educational. philosophical and relig-
| lous. Back of the question is, of
/
more than 400, 100000 of people. The
ancient history of this oldest of the ma
tions, the curious customs of its peo-
pie, their political systems and their
religious beliefs. have been and will
be the themes of thousands of volumes.
But one does not study the lore OF the
| Druids or the superstitions of rural
England when British imperial poll
| Icy issunder discussion. Similarly, the
important aspects of the Chinese sit
uation in China today concern the
things of today, the things which are
| new.
By the same token, one will find
more of James Watt and Samuel r. B.
Morse and Thomas A. Edison in the
| China of today than he will find OF
Confucius and all the sages. There
is a great and silent revolution in
progress on this side of the world, and
already the traveller finds himself, II
he will look beyond the mere physical
superficialities about him, In modern
China.
| Tomorrow-In Modern China: H-Rela-
| tfoDs with the United States.