The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-03-09
THWING TELLS
ABOUT CHINA

u1OV OiIIUu
Rev. e. w. Thwing issued the fol-
lowing as a circular, in lientsin:e
The struggle Of great nation, to
rightful independence and self.govern-
ment, is a spectacle that can only
bring sympathy and admiration from
every wisher of world progress.
There is a future before this Empire
which many of the worlds statesmen
fail to realize or comprehend. If they
did so their treatment of the Chinese
Government and the Chinese people
would be very different,
The present is a most critical time
in the transformation of China from
the hoary Empire of the past to the
modern progressive nation of the flu
ture. Many of Chinas leaders, and
her intelligent young men, realize the
present opportunity to regain some OF
her lost, rights and her national pres
tige Some, however it seems, fail to
realize that now is the time for def
mite action.
More than month ago the National
Assembly passed an almost unanimous
resolution for the speedy suppression
of the opium traffic. They asked that
the Chinese Foreign Office should take
steps to change the Treaty of Tientsin
so that opium might not longer be in
cluded in the commercial articles. But
as yet we hear of no public stand by
the Chinese government demanding
her sovereign right to totally prohibit
the importation of opium. Can it be
that China is still afraid to make this
| Just demand? She would have the
support of the whole civilized world
if she were to take firm stand today
on this great moral question. We
hear reports of negotiations being car
ried on between the Chinese and the
British Government. Some object to
freeing China from Treaty obligations
in regard to opium. They claim, it is
said, that China has not proved her
| sincerity nor fully shown her ability
to carry out the work she proposes. II
is also said that propositions are being
made for the prohibition of foreign
opium in several districts only, where
the cultivation of the native opium has
been fully stopped. We hear reports
of these and other negotiations; they
may be true or false. But there is
danger that the true issue will be lost
sight of, that is, China's sovereign
right as an independent nation. 1t il
England's right to meet her difficulties
in India, as she deems best, withou
conditions being imposed by the Chi
nese government. 1t is also China
right as a sovereign power, to total,
prohibit opium both at home and iron
abroad without conditions being i'm
posed by England. Will China feal
lessly claim this right? Fifty year
of the opium trade, which was unfair
ly forced upon China, when her III
Outstanding of international agree
ments was in an undeveloped stage
does not give to Great Britain tn
right to impose conditions upon a.
awakened China, when she wishes t
stop this vicious traffic If Chin
could only see that her strength lies i
avoiding prolonged negotiations, an
. complicated agreements, and in NAL
ing a firm demand for return of he
sovereign right, she would succeed.
: A recent editorial in the New Yor
J Herald fifty states that: "The publ
opinion of the civilized world is tr,
mendous force, and the leaders of tn
!. National Assembly in China must b
commended for appealing to it againi
Great Britain's attitude on the opiul
traffic. AS a result of this appeal,
3 be permitted to Immediately shut OF
Indian opium, the British United Chri
Z tian Society for the Suppression of tt
y opium traffic has renewed and int
Y sified its agitation Many Thousand
K of British Christians are ashamed
y Great Britains long continued erin
- toward China, in declining to grant Il
= immediate right to prohibit the il
Il | ,,o,tot;on of Indian oniuun which