Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-18
STATE RIGHTS FIGHT
Chinese Combat the Principle
of CentraIiSm.
REVOLT AGAINST MANCHUs
Frederick Mccormick Opens Lecture
Course Before National
Geographic Society.

many years ASSOCIATED ETeSS
respondent In the howery kingdom. spoke
before two big audiences in Masonic
| Temple yesterday afternoon and evening.
his lecture being the first of the winter
series as arranged by the National Geo
graphic Society.
Mr. Mccormick. from his experience as
a correspondent. is an authority on
Chinese customs. politics and modern con-
ditions. He is a student of the literature
! of the country and is tho author of many
articles on Chinese subjects.
China has struck the Manchu dynasty
at its unlucky hour, when weakest. when
at the lowest ebb of its imperial vitality,
relative race strength. wealth and iu-
fiuence.' said Mr. Mccormick. 1t has
been slowly strangled by the Chinese
giant, enchanted by the immcmorial
Chinese system and dependent for power
and succor upon the Chinese race. Never
theless the record Of it's 211 years is a
famous one and if ii dies, IL dies fighting
for the principle of a strong centralized
government--the sole principle which the
best friends of China support.
China is what and where she is be-
cause she is Chinese. Although the lat
ter-day Chinese have yauted over the
heads of the progressive Manchus. yet
Chna's record of conservation compared
with the ManchuS Is damaging. For I'D
years they have been more Manchu than
the Manchus. and they can never escape
the indictment that up to this hour they
have missed the principle. clearly seen by
the Manchus, that the Chinese empire, in
order to survive her struggle with the
powers. must have a strongly centralized
If not imperialiStic government.
Centralism Caused Revolt.
he oc% 81,
understood. Although the war cry of
the seceders has been Down with the
Manchus.' this is no new war cry There
are no new war cries in China but that
of the foreign idea. That has caused the
revolution. But the thing that precipi-
tated the revolution was the Manchu pol
Icy of centralized government, to
achieve which the cooperation of the
finance and industry of outside powers
was essential. And it is here that the
powers become involved. This policy was
not adopted by the Manchus without ma
jority support of the Chinese statesmen,
among whom were Yuan Shi kai and
Sheng Hsuan-Huai. Owing to the great
prosperity and increased power of the
Chinese during the brilliant Manchu era
they have been able to achieve success
in revolution. but their parsimOnious, in
hospitable and corrupt treatment melted
out to the throne, and the placing of their
rial revenues on a level with the smallest
Independent states of Europe, have had
most to do with this success The prov
inceS that have set up republic have
not been willing, after immemorial in
dependence, to surrender so little of their
states rights as was demanded by the
imperial policy, nor to support reform
which would increase the revenues of the
central government, and by the extern
sion of railways and other communica-
TONS r. NanehJ1S
have not been without fault. They have
been too Chinese, too conservative, too
exclusive. But in their policy for the vel
fare Of China, those wise statesmen of
the Chinese race. like Yuan Shi kal,
have found no fault with them.
Organized by Students.
The revolution has been developed and
organized by the independent students
chiefly from the provinces of Szechuan
and Human. and its greatest support
comes from the champions of states
rights. Those forces found in the ques-
ton of loans. promoted by the four CAPT
talistic powers of the world. Great Brit
ain, France, Germany and the United
States. with the desire and willingness OF
the Chinese government, an excuse Tor
rebellion. secession and independence. The
blow struck at Cheng Tu, the capital OF
Szechuan. although only partially sue
cessful. is the event that inaugurated the
revolution, which it is evident is a revolt
against the tmmemorial Chinese system.
The Manchus may go down before the
immense figure of rebellion. 1t Will be,
on the whole, glorious defeat, for. not
withstanding the fact that for the last
decade or two the throne has made as
great mistakes at 1t could make. its an
mails are filled with great Manchu names.
II this is the end it is illuminated as brill
liantly in this respect as was the begin
ming.
"It is apparent that some time must
elapse before both sides in China will be
a BILE to appreciate the golden mean in
which China is to realize new union.
There are two kinds of revolutionaries
and Recommendations favoring a modern
monarchy under the Manchu emperor
and those favoring a republic and the
possibilities of the revolutionary situation
in China, under the circumstances. are
enough to make the friends of China
shudder.
States Rights Sinister Rock.
..Encroachment upon states rights is
the grievance in the hearts of rebel re-
publicans at WI Chang. and in he MAX
ing OF the new constitution states rights
will be the sinister rock which the ship OF
the new Chinese state, guided by Yuan
Shi Kali. must avoid. China's great dam
ger after her prediction for extremes
and horrors is foreign Intervention. 1t
is proba BILE that the leader who will fin
ally unite broken China and Teorganize
the empire has not yet appeared. Whether
az monarchy a republic. China must
u. ~. ted