Los Angeles herald., 1909-08-24


naval victories of Japan In the war
with Russia. In China, as in every
other Asiatic country, the Japanese
victory appeared to mean the begin
ming of the end of European domtna-
tion and aggression. 1t caused a wave
of conscious pride to sweep over the
entire continent. This is the way to
meet the westerners," they thought,
do as Japan has done. Acquire the
occidental learning and adopt the oc-
cidental weapons and turn them against
the encroaching white man."
China could not ape Japan in mo-
ment. but the first opportunity which
presented itself to display spirit was
seized upon The immigration laws in
America affected no Chinese except
those from a few counties in the
province of Kwan-tung, because there
is no emigration from any other part
of China. But the national feeling"
was beginning to assert itself and an
organization Of half-educated young
students began the agitation for boy
colt. The actual boycott did not be-
come national. thanks to the strong
measures taken by the authorities.
But the protest against the American
immigration laws which carne to the
American minister at Peking was
signed by the people of every one of
the eighteen provinces. 1t was the hrst
time that outside provinces had ever
Interested themselves in the affairs of
another province which did not concern
them The American government, un-
der the orders of Mr. Roosev cit, caused
some needed reforms to be made In the
manner of enforcing the Objectionable
law, and the agitation died out.
The imperial government, however,
was struck with amazeme Mt at the
unification of action inspired by the
attempted general boycott, and imme-
diatelv set to work to capitalize the
awakened spirit in the hope of strength
ening its power. That was only four
years ago, but much has been accom-
plished in that time. The young men
Of China are actively studying govern
mental affairs at home and abroad, in
duced thereto by the promised promul-
cation of a constitution and by the In
creased facilities for obtaining infor-
nation.
At the time of the Boxer rebellion,
not quite ten years ago, there were
| only eleven new spapers in China
| printed by Chinese for the Chinese.
| Now there are over 300 regular journals
| and a great number of occasional pub
locations. Newspapers In the Ear in
! terror have been assisted by the gov
ernment telegraph system to obtain
regular telegraphic reportsf of the do
! ings of the world. The cable news of
the coast city papers is stolen without
| conscience and teegraphed to the back
country. Officials have made it a part
of their daily duty to read the news
papers and keep up with the times.
! Many of these papers, of course, are
very crude and some of them go as far
toward dangerous license as a mild
censorate will permit. Nevertheless, il
! is much better than no press at all.
Imagine a city the size of Baltimore
| EoI, pnnfnriaG funln fed
| from the world, scarcely knowing the
name OF any country beyond Japan
| All at once a newspaper comes, and the
people, driven to read II by their
natural curiosity and love of gossip
are compelled to interest themselves in
the doings OF all those governments be-
yond the seas. How much these people
are enlightened by a long report of a
! speech in the German reichstag, or
Times editorial on the '"Two-power
| Standard Is a question to puzzle over
The main result is, however that they
know what they never knew before
that their government is in Peking and
that there are many other governments
in the world, many of them stronger
and some perhaps better than their
own, but not one of which is entitled
to their support.
sented in the great rush of students to
Japan Immediately after the war with
Russia The Chinese labored under the
delusion that the Japanese could give
them all the western learning in few
months. They have found out their
mistake, and the Chinese student popu-
lation at Tokyo is disappearing. Fewer
students can afford to go to Europe
and America, but as many as can are
going. The United States attracts more
than all the others combined, and there
are now nearly a thousand young Chi
nese in American colleges and uni
versities. The government is preparing
to send a great number on its account,
and before another year has passed
awav every one of the eighteen prov
inces of the middle kingdom will be
represented by students at work in
American institutions of learning.
The work Of manufacturing a ma
tional feeling is being successfully car
ried out in China. 1t Will require many
wears, perhaps many decades, to bring
It to the point where China may regain
} it's entire independence. If 1t is carried
farther than that-a matter of CEN
turies-it then will be time to talk Of
the "Yellow Peril"
TomOrrnw-In Modern China: V-The
Youthful Ruler of Cathay.