Evening star., 1909-06-20
The AWAKENING OF CHINA.

ensued Committees innumerable have
been formed producing a fertile crop OF
intrigues and jealousies. In the meantime
all further progress is indefinitely stayed"
The converse OF Mr.. kent's conclusions
may be found in the construction Of the
Pekingkalgan line under the direction
and supervision of Taotai Tien-Yow,
Ph. b. IA graduate of Yalel who is en-
staff this construction are Chinese.
and there is not a foreigner in it's service
in any capacity. The section is thirty
two miles in length and II was commenced
and completed within eleven months in
1905. The Nankow pass offers the most
difficult engineering problem and the tun-
nelng when completed will measure o.31o
feet in length and most OF it through
hard rock. The Students~ Magazine. a
Chinese publication, writes: There are
no interpreters to browbeat the con-
tractors. to make trouble with the local
officials and to make pile in little or no
time. All contractors deal with engineers
directly and no squeeze system exists.
No disturbance of any kind, stilf less OF
any rioting, has ever happened. and the
work has proceeded SO smoothly and
quickly that the local officials are never
called Upon to suppress disorders or pun
ish offenders. There can be no unpleasant
ness arising through the interference OF
foreign consuls and the referring of In
significant incidents to the ministers in
Pekng. One and all understand that the
railway Is a Chinese railway"
Critics nevertheless point to the failure
of the Chinese to go on with the construc-
tion Of the Hankow-Canton railway. 1t
is fair to rejoin, in favor of the Chinese,
that the Belgians and tie American De-
velopment Company failed likewise.
In the annual report of the British As
ISOLATION for 1908 1t is said that China
has finances, but no
Financial finance" In illustration
1t is set up that China's s
oiunoeis' foreign debt contracted
almost entirely within the last thirteen
years now amounts to 9125.O0O,O0O for
the service OF which an annual sum of
between seven and eight million sterling
is required. Government Is reduced to
expedents to meet these burdens by a
resort to lotteries, sales OF offices, issues
of debased coinage and unsecured paper
money. Such expedients can end only In
disaster. and the report expresses the
hope that China will take in hand the
reform of her financial chaos
In June, 1908. Sir Walter Hitler was
appointed foreign adviser to the Chinese
government This appointment was doubt
less excellent and made after due con-
sideration and perhaps at the suggestion
of the British government. Such matters
of apparently small Importance are HaDie
at any moment to become OF vital sig
nificance. The government at Washing
ton has never paid any attention to such
Insignificant incidents as a foreign ad-
wiser. and yet Americans have hold such
places, appointed for the most part with
out any other reason, II 1t was a reason.
than an absolute ignorance of foreign
affairs In general and with no idea OF
policy, a patriotic policy, and only a
personal pecuniary purpose. The tndif-
ference of the United States in such mat
ters is in striking contrast to the studied
action of Great Britain. The appointment
Of British foreign adviser at Peking may
be initiated with advantage by the ap-
pointment OF an American adviser at the
Chinese foreign Office.
The United States has had a single
policy in the Pacific in the maintenance
of the territorial integrity of China. The
United States, it is proper to state. had
this In mind from the date of her first
relations with China. and which was en-
phasized by the Burlingame mission
Now that the United States seeks the
development of her commerce in the
Pacific in her possessions the Philip
pines. she looks to China as a field, a
friendly field, for her economical expan-
sion.
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