The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-03-31
"A BIRD'S-EYE VIEW OF
CHINA AS SHE is
Selected By EDWIN MARKHAM

cfsasor Edward A. Ross. In his
49, volume. THE Changing Chinese"
x1hs Century Company. has set forth
~ distressing record OF his travels
n the Far East. Hero Ii part OF
Whist ~ says OF. present conditions
\ IN G1a11s1, now IN tho uproar Of the
mos Astonishing revolution In his
'sChlnA ii the European Middle
AoGD made visible. All the cities are
sNalJod, ana the walls and the gates
naye ban kept in repair with an eye
{ 4ne - headquarters only In a walled
10fsr6es city.
" The streets OF the cities are mar
TOW. crooked, poorly paved. filtt and
j 1nAlcdorous. In North China they
admit the circulation Of the heavy
Upfingless carts. by which alone -as-
ssnssr. sss carried nn. !, w s,a,ga,
I'd. and tho steets are ado only
70 tho circulation Of wheelbarrows
and pedestrians. The shopkeeper
builds hts counter in front Of his lot
Mne; the stalls lire the street with
their crates and baskets: the artisans
overflow into II with their work
benches. and the final result Is that
the traflic filters painfully through
stx-fo6t passage which would be
yet more encroached on but for the
fact that the officials insist on there
being room left for their sedan chairs
TO piss each other
Until recently there was no force
~ die cities to maintain public order.
Now, khaki-ciAd policemen club IN
hand, patrol the streets: but their efii-
cheney In time Of tumult In by no
means vindicated. A slouching, bare
foot mild.faced gendarmc. such rs
you SEQ In Canton, Ii by no means
m awe-inspiring embodiment OF the
majesty Of the law.
There II no common supply Of
water. When city lies bv a river.
the raw river water Is borne about to
the houses by regular water-sarriers:
And tho 1fvelonE day the river stairs
are wet from tho drip of buckets.
When the water Ia too thick 1t liz par
TALLY clarified by stirring 1t with a
perforated joint OF bamboo contain J.
40 public lighting. and after nixht-
tall the streets are dark. forbidding
and little frequented. Until kero-
nena began to penetrate the empire,
me common source Of light was
ran6lle III n paper lantern. or cot
ton wick lighted In an open cup OF
peanut oil. Owing to the lack or a
rood illuminant, the bulk OF the peo-
pie retire with the fowls and rise
with the sun.
"Fuel IS economical and household
economy simplified among the poor
hy the custom Of relying largely on
the food cooked and vended In the
street. The portable street restaurant
IN in high favor.
Proper chimneys arc wanting and
wherever cooking goes on the walls
arc black with the smoke that Is left
10 escnpo Al II Will. Chinese inte-
rfprn are apt TO be dark. for, in the
absence Of window glass, the only
means Of letting in light without
wAa&her IL by pasting paper as lat
!fjce, The floors are dirt, brick or
tile; tho roof tile or thatch. To the
passerby private ease and luxury are
little In evidence. II a man has house
and grounds OF beauty. high wall
hides them from the gaze OF the pub
1ic.s
~as.f0st striking II the contrast be-
tween China and Japan in respect to
neatneSs. The Chinese seem neglect
fuI and ignorant of the art OF care
taking and repair. They have never
acted on the maxim. "a stitch In
time saves nine" They prefer to build
new rather than to keep up the old.
In Japan everything looks spick and