The Washington times., 1915-07-07

tional movement Cor tho propagation cf
character.
China has not yet demonstrated the
exact number Of methods of removing
the feline hide. but she has added to
the experiments and the literature on
the subject.
Tokyo Makes Com plant.
The first outburst of Chinese anger at
the japanese demands last January was
Followed by talk of an anti-Japanese
boycott. Such things frequently start
In Shanghai the great commercial
center of China. and that was whero
the first anti-apanese boycott talk was
heard.
IL spread rapidly. and within a couple
or weeks had reached such proportions
that the attention of the japanese gov
ernment was seriously engaged.
That government is not a believer in
me policy of watchful waiting in such
matters. and 1t promptly made repre-
sentations at Peking. 1t informed the
chinese government that Japan would
mold China strictly to account for the
damage resulting from the continuance
OF such a boycott.
Peking Dodges.
The Peking authorities Immediately
took steps to escape responsibility for
any of the boycott work. The official
word went out from the national capi-
tai that the anti-Japanese boycott
must stop at once. 1t was duly ex-
planned that such procedure or the part
O. Ne Chinese would make II extremely
difficult for the government to carry on
the negotiations with Japan success
fully.
The Chinese police took vigorous
hand and boycott meetings were broken
up rather Violently. Men and boys who
were circulating boycott literature were
arrested and punished. and on the sur
face II really looked as IL vigorous
policy of suppression was in force.
But that was where the Chinese cat
skinners were showing their skill But
who could object to organized effort for
the propagation cf trade in native made
goods? That was distinctly an AFFAIR of
patriotism. 1t was a thing to be on
couraged and protected by the govern
ment.
Chinese Great Organizers.
1t was a subject calling for direct
affirmative action by the authorities and
was not unworthy OF the issuance of a
presidential mandate. There could be
no higher form Of true Chinese activity
than such effort to foster and develop
native trade and the use of Chinese
made goods. That Is so plain that 1t
must be understandable even by Japa-
nese.
OF course. II, the Chinese happen to
make exactly the same kinds of things
that they have been buying from Japa-
nese. even II they should use Japanese
goods as their models. that Is merely
an incidental effect of the campaign to
extend the use of native manufactures.
If that extension happens to put a
nese trade. how extremely unfortunate
that is for the Japanese But isn't II a
fine thing for China?
There are no organizers of societies in
all the world like the Chinese. They will
organize a secret society and draw up
several full sets of regulations cover
ing all imaginable contingencies in the
mere case of the removal of a dead dog
from a back alley.
New Society Formed.
So there promptly was formed In
Shanghai society for the propag cation
of the use OF Chinese goods. Its mem
bership was composed chiefly of local
merchants. and among them 1t happen
ed, very strangely, that there were
considerable number who had been in
the habit OF buying Japanese goods.
1t was arranged at once to hold
meeting every week for the general dis
of ways and means for prosecuting the
campaign to which the society was de-
voted.
The society for the propagation OF the
use of Chinese goods was barely out
of its swaddling clothes when there W as
organized. also in Shanghai. the So
ciety for the Protection of Chinese
Trade. Its avowed purpose was the
acceleration Of the development Of ma
tive trade in native made goods.
1t appointed deliberative committee
and formed four departments. one be-
ing for investigation. There are prac-
tically no limitations on the field of
activity of that department.
The department for industrial ques-
tions is. of course. closely related to
that foR Investigations. There is not a
boom city in the Western part of the
United States that does nor nave such
a committee in it's board of trade or
chamber of commerce.
Finances Itself.
Then comes the department OF lee
lures, which arranges for two kinds of
public speaking, one to merchants and
jobbers and the other to the general !
public-the users of the goods.
This society arranged to finance itself
by subscriptions from its members a
regular scale being fixed for corpora
tions or guilds at $50. companies at $40
trims at $40. and individuals at 81. Get !
ting the guilds into the game Is
shrewd move. for their influence in all
Chinese business is paramount.
Now, all this Is certainly perfectly
leg itimate cat skinning. The effect on |
japanese trade In China may easily be |
disastrous, but nowhere in the whole |
scheme is there a single peg on which |
the japanese government can hang a |
successful protest.
Already tho movement has spread far
and wide throughout the provinces, es-
pecially i'm southern China. Word comes |
Ln from the far western provinces that