The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-02
CHANCE FOR CHINA'S TRADE
Newly Awakened Country Ready to
Become Profitable Customer

From the Philadelphia Public Ledger.
The Chinese nation. after being bound
hand and foot for centuries, has at last
courageously broken loose from her past
and is now ready to step forward to make
use of her unlimited potentiality.
Now, what is going to be the effect of
this tremendous change? This is what
especially interests US. for 1t is univers-
ally recognized that what affects China
affects the whole world. Answers to this
question are too many to enumerate.
Suffice it TO say that for China herself it
means a steady advancement in all
branches of modern civilization, and to
her friends it offers an unprecedented op-
pcrtunity. With the adoption of modern
republican constitution and the conflsca-
ton of her laws China. once free from
her ancient bondages, will march forward
by leaps and bounds. There are the
railways to build, the mines to open, the
industries to develop. the religious atti-
tude to shape. the social fabric to weave.
In short, China has to be remade. AS was
the case with the revolution itself, the
impending changes will be accomplished
with such speed that we shall soon find
China a brand new country. a regular
workshop contributed to the outer world
in the past Once free from obstacles.
China. with her untold resources and
wholesale traditions, will soon begin to
make stupendous contributions again.
In this transformation China will offer
an unprecedented opportunity to men of
all professions. The educator will find
new field, the theologian will have
fresh opening the manufacturer will meet
gigantic consumer the merchant will
discover golden market. Indeed, one of
the most certain things to follow the re-
cent upheaval will be the enormous in
crease in China's foreign trade. On this
point all observers-optimjsts and pessi-
mists alike-agree. The world will see in
China a stride forward in commercial
progress such as it has never seen be-
fore. China has held back from foreign
things for centuries. The foreign imports,
which have already reached enormous
proportions, represent only what has been
hammered into China through closed
doors, and which hardly represent 1.-THE
of the trade that will accompany the
opening up of the country. During her
period of seclusion the seed has been
sown for such a harvest of trade and
commercial prosperity that 1t will keep
all the factories of the world busy to
cope with her demands
We can safely say that today, on the
eve of the transformation and opening up
of China, with her untold wealth, stu
pendous market and unlimited future. the
United states holds the highest advan-
tage over all other nations. The AMI
erican missionary is better trusted. the
American university is more desired. In
short, everything American shares GER
tain amount of this good will.
In the recent revolution itself America
has always been looked upon as a good
friend. 10 repeat it is America that has
taken the lead in preventing some of the
| powers from interfering with our domes-
tic affairs There is not the least doubt
that China. will become more friendly to
American and learn more from her than
from any other country. We have today
| more than 500 students in American
schools, with more to come over. When
these young men return to China as en-
gneers, agriculturists foresters and so
forth. do you think that they can turn
their backs upon the United States and
fiirt with Germany or Russia? ImpOs-'
| sibe! They will want everything Ameri-
can to which they are accustomed. There
FORE there is no reason why America
Should not get the lions share Of the
possibilities of our Regeneration.