The Washington herald., 1912-05-05

ANRADnC VI AnG LNN1N- 0OAAkN 0ay EnG 14A1
the great republic OF the West win hold
the balance OF power in the worlds az
fairs. We shall furnish the ideas, and
she viii apply them. 50 that together
the two nations win lift civilization to
. new plane"
Thus said Prof W MCGEE. the emil
nent government ethnologist. who added:
We reckon civilization nowadays IN
terms Of power utilization. Ourselves
the greatest users OF mechanical energy
among the nations. we In this country
are continuously employing about 30ooo.-
900 horsepower-the equivalent. let US say,
OF $oooo.0oo manpover; nearly all Of II
derived from coal. But we have more
than enough water power economically
available TO furnish this amount Of en-
ergy. II we had not a pound OF fuel left.
Compared with China. however. we
are in this respect poor indeed. She is
the worlds great storehouse Of hydrau-
lie energy. Her innumerable rivers. sew
eral Of them among the greatest on the
earth, rise IN lofty mountain ranges. and.
as they flow down to the sea, every foot
OF their descent represents power avail
able for mechanical uses. Compare In
this regard our own Mississippi almost
useless for water power by reason OF the
low attitudes at which II heads) with the
magnificent Yangtsze. which Is the main
artery of trade between Eastern and
Western China.
Great water Power.
The Yangtsze is the principal water
way Of China Flowing $500 miles
through the very heart Of the country.
its banks are dotted with rich and pop
ulous cities. For a distance Of / 900 miles
from its mouth It Is traversed by great
-
man, and japanese. But above Ichang
navigation Is impossible for any but light
craft specially built for the tranic,
owing to the fact that the river runs
through a series Of tremendous noun
tain gorges with dangerous rapids.
TO grasp even in a measure the gi-
gantic possibilities OF water power de-
velopment in Chlna-a natural resource
upon which her future prosperity viii
largely depend-one must understand
something about the configuration OF
that country OF many streams and LOFTY
attitudes. The basin OF the Yangtsze,
which forms the whole Of Central China,
Is bordered on the west by ranges of
mountains with heights exceeding three
ard a half miles. To the north this
basin is separated from that Of the
mighty Hoangho, or Yellow River, by a
chain whose peaks reach two miles and
= haAA dAONt AAt Eta
"A very striking geographical feature
of the country is an immense plain in
the northeastern part, which, curving
round the mountainous districts OF Shan |
tung. extends 700 miles IN a southerly |
direction. representing an area from 15O
to 500 miles In breadth. This plain is |
the delta Of the Yellow River. and to |
some extent that OF the Yangtsze also.
The Chinese, though credited with /
IL
not an Inventive people, and never will
be. So far as their future is concerned, |
L is not necessary. They will assimilate
the new ideas Of other peoples, as the
Japanese have done, and, industrially /
speaking. will soon fall into step with |
the rest Of the world. They will turn 4
10 account their incalculabIe stores Of
energy. in the shape Of water power, IN
he utilization of those Industrial inven-
Ions OF which we ourselves are the most
,ecund creators
Territory Is Large.
IN estimating the possibilities of
China's future, we should realize that
her territory is larger than the whole
II Europe and one-fourth greater than
he entire area Of the United States. ex-
,luding Alaska What Is known as
china proper, which Is the southeastern
art. sIons covers 10000 square miles.
canton. in the south, is within the
ropics; Shanghai Is In the temperate
ione. and Pel<in, 81 the north. has win
ers Of arctic severity.
'a'More important. however. Is the fact
hat the population OF China is four
ines as great as that of the United
tates. 1t represents nearly one-fourth
( the entire population of the giobe-a
mass OF humanity whose energies. once
ct going In the proper direction, ars
kelly to overcome all obstacles. Al
eady the old-fashioned. conservative
with his cry OF foreign !
evil" Is being crowded to the rear.
he natives have suddenly become pro-
ressive; they want to learn about mod !
m inventions and scientific discoveries !
very important city Is connected with
he capital by telegraph. 5000 miles OF i
always are in operation. and / 500 miles 4
Z trunk lines are under construction. !
he postal service IN China Is being 4
lpidly and efficiently developed on !
lodern lines. Ii
Immense Coal Deposits. II
THE Chinese. like ourselves, have
scklessly used up their forests. They !
ave immense deposits OF coal. on the
.her hand, which as yet are practically v
But coal and oil are only 9
sources OF power. There are c
her and permanent sources. which we v
1rselves are only beginning to utilize. Z
ne OF these Is water power. Another U
sunshine. The climate over vast areas B
China IL such as to make sun motors d
fectively utiIizable. This problem Of a
.tting energy from the sun Is one that n
destined before long to be satisfac-
rfly solved. the most promising ma {
lines for the purpose thus far devised s
.ing so contrived as to convert solar .
,wer into electricity, which. Of course. o
susceptible OF any sort Of mechanical q
,pllcation. I
But the chief way IN which sun power
N be turned to profitable account y Il