Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-06-12

cidl currency ana monetary unit OF China
until now was copper cash. OF which a bout
1,22o constituted one haikwan tael. The
use of bullion or sycee was confined
largely as a medium OF exchange in
cities, but in the country il was limited
to copper cash. IL il is asked why the
chinese, SO intelligent In trade, persisted
In maintaining such heavy and cumber-
some coins. ii is answered that il was
political rather than an economical
policy adopted by government. which
FOUND in 1t the most potent means of it's
seclusion. the most formidable barrier 1t
could oppose to the foreigner
The occidental who desired to reach the
distant interior was obliged to engage a
costly caravan To carry his copper cash
coins, which would serve only TO defray
the expense OF a limited journey. The
result was that the foreigner contented
himself by operating in the coast cities
The decimal coin. therefore. marks an
era of economical as well as political
progress.
Is 1t another mark OF progress that
public opinion is being harnessed and
controlled by the Chinese press? The
London Times is authority for the state
ment that all Chinese newspapers have
been bought up. either owned or subsi-
died by the mandarins-that is. by the
government-and their free criticisms of
TWO years ago are now replaced by eX-
pressiohs OF acquiescence in the new or
der or things. If this should be so it
shows that tie prince regent is a man
Of unusual talent for the SYSTEMATIC
transformation Of China.
America must now and henceforth re-
gard with special interest the movements
In China OF whatever ma
American ture. economical or poit-
Tr4oro,+ fcal. More than any other
nation. America Is bound
to- China by a common destiny conse-
Grated by relative positions in the Pacific
ocean. Having this In view, Mr. Knox,
the Secretary OF State OF the United
States. would neutralize Manchuria In
order to strengthen China's frontiers
against both Russia and japan.
Mr.. Dillon. i'm the Contemporary Re-
view. commenting upon Mr.. knox's prop
osition as to Manchuria, says: "A new
era In far eastern history was inaugural
ed on the day on which Secretary Knox
OH the part CT the United States govern
ment. put forward his grandiose plan for
the naturalization of Manchuria, for
whatever motives may have actuated this
moVe-and the most selfish national aims
nave been freely assigned to the mover
it cuts much deeper than is yet gener-
ally realized into the political destinies
OF Russia. Japan. the United States and
China. 1t is possible to regard it as good
seeu' from WNlcn permanent peace may
vet spring. or else as dragons teeth, like
those sowed of yore. from which arose
armed men. who slew each other"
Mr.. Dillon expresses the belief that the
historic Significance of the American pro-
posal lies not merely i'm the material adj
vantages which It purports to secure for
all the nations concerned, nor i'm the eco
nomic and strategic damage which Russia
and Japan apprehend from it's realization
and working, but i'm the changes it In
sat 81.
pansion Of both Russia and Japan. Ac-
cording to the writer. "It would give the
Yankees the Archimedean fuicrum and
they will lift the unsunned wealth OF the
Chinese empire out OF its present hiding
place and transport it to the other side
of the Pacific ocean. America compared
with Russia might then be likened to
the fox who invited the stork TO dinner
and set before him soup on a shallow
plate"