Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-30
King Cotton Employs Boys His Mills -Four Cents Per Day

and wear it, The badges were round,
square or shaped like a keystone accord
ing to the rooms in which the girls work
ed. 1t was the last badge which caused the
trouble. The day after the order went
forth the girls with the keystone pins
struck. and the next noon the others went
out. 1t was afterward found that the
objection lay in a superstition that the
keystone badges would bring bad luck to
their wearers because they were shaped
like the head of a coffin. 1t was some
time before this could be remedied and
the employees brought into line.
And this brings me to the new boycott
which was recently instituted against the
British steamers on the Yangtse-Kiang /
am told that some of the companies are
losing a thousand dollars a day, and that
the Chinese are refusing to ship by them
because a certain deck passenger died
from a kick given by one of the steam
ship ticket collectors. The British are
much alarmed about the matter, and are
doing all they can to appease the Chinese.
The first great boycott against for
eigners was that imposed upon the
Americans, two or three years ago. The
merchants of the largest cities then bound
themselves not to buy American goods
and imposed penalty Of $4,000 upon any
member of their organization who did so
After this boycott was raised, the trouble
with the Japanese caused by the impor-
tatlon of arms on the Tatsu Maru was
Instituted, and 1t was continued until IT
SoSl Japan Hldlly HEltlOQS or dollars.
About six months ago a Chinese official
told me that the damages to japanese
trade had already aggregated more than
forty millions, and that the guilds of
canton had sworn to make them one
hundred and fifty millions before thew e,pt
through. That boycott was most power
full at Canton. The people there would use
nothing Japanese. The women had anti
Japan clubs and the merchants refused
to ship in Japanese steamers The loss
OF trade created Hn2 ncia1 6-fr al
Japan, and the government officials at
Toxic were at a loss as to how to handle
the situation. Said one of them to me:
I've cannot fight the Chinese because
they will not trade with US. The powers
would not stand for war of that kind.
and we are practically helpless. This is
so because the United States knuckled
down and permitted the first boycott Had
stopped Chinese boycotting forever"
But how could she do thato'
Easy enough then. although not at all
now with the precedent established /
was in Picking at the time the boycott
was started, and told your minister, Mr..
Rockhill. how he could stop it. Said I:
What your government should do Is
to make firm stand against the boycott
and at the same time send a gunboat or
so along the coast under pretense of sur
veying the waters. The ships should stop
at the islands, and now and then make
an expedition off through the country.
The Chinese will become alarmed, but
the naval officers can tell them that they
are merly surveying for science, adding
at the end of each reply a significant
question as to what China intends to do
as to the boycott The government will
fear that the United States is about to
retahate and an edict will be sent forth
that the boycott must be stopped"
And what did Mr.. Rockhill say to
that?" I asked.
''oh, replied the Toxic statesman. "he
had not enough backbone to try it. He
said he had no doubt but that the plan
would work, but that he did not dare to
suggest it. When 1 asked why not. he
significantly said: I don't dare to do 1t.
1 don't dare. Our Teddy would jump at
it in minute.
And" concluded this man, st have no
doubt but that President Roosevelt would
have jumped at it; and had he done
there would have been no further trouble
as to American goods and none as to
other foreign goods in the future. As 1t is
now the psychological moment has pass
ed; and not you. only. but also we and
all others must get on our knees to these
boycotting celeStials.''
FRANK G. CARPENTER.