The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-10-17

golia. Tibet and part of Turkestan.
These are loosely held together. hut
in fact are iii customs. habits and
| religion very different, while the pow
er of the central government is mere
ly nominal. China proper has cigil-
teen provinces. and these nav little
in common except tho payment of tax
GA which are little less than robbery
and .ccntlscation. The population.
which according to the hest estimates
is l33,55S.oo0.t heterogeneous in char
acter. Climatic and other conditions
separate the portions of the empire
even more greatly. Extending over
a wide range of latitude the condi-
ticns of the people differ accordingly.
ties to blend these sections into a
common whole as is done in this
country. unity of purpose or action is
impossible.
That my great number Of people
SO widely differen: in the essentials
of nationality should unite in a COM
mon AUS is hardly to be expected.
The disturbances are in the cities
near the coast and If the revolution
lists should No successful in overturn-
ing tho dynasty and establishing 4 new
government III its stead, il would ne
months before the news ever reached
some of the remcte portions of the
nation. just what the oriental can ac-
coinplish when a few thousand UNDER
take to solve Il national problem for
as many million remains to be seen.
For Years western ideas and occi-
dental customs have been working
among the Chinese. The missionaries.
by thir preaching and through their
schools hav been pounding at tine
doors Of oriental exclusion. Progress
has heen slow. hut the seeds are al
ready bearing fruit as is shown by the
fact that there are now about n
million Christians in the nation. To
the zeal of the missionary has been
added the con1nerciaiism Of trade.
and by persistent efforts n number of
the ports have been opened to the
commerce of the world. and the OK
ponent of trade has gone hand in
hand with the exponent of the gospel.
Western progress. once it broke down
the barriers Of C~onfucianism anu the
eXclusiveness Of centuries of isolation.
caught the natural craftiness of the
Chinaman. He saw its advantages
and grasped its opportunities. The
Marchu dynasty belongs to the old
and the exclusive. In as much as the
present uprising is directed arains.
it. there is every reason to believe
that the leaders are the Of
westernism and the advocates Of prog
ress. Every commercial nation in the
world is DESTROYS of opening China for
trade. and they will. therefore. do
nothing to interfere with the progress
of the revolution.
Should the movement for a different
government prove successful. IL will
take years. If not centuries. to weld
the people into a living, vital nation.
The oriental moves slow in matters
of much Importance, and tradition
is the essence Of both his religion and
his education. Whether we are now
watching the erection of Il nation on
the ruins Of one whose antiquity is
hid in the mist OF the ages. whose
religion has a history older than our
own, and whose people once surpass-
ed all others III learning. craft and en-
terprise. or whether we are merely
witnessing an expression of unrest in
a people with great possibilities and
few opportunities. the developments
in the far east during the next few
weeks alone will determine,