Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-09-25
CHINA TOO GREAT TOBE ENSLAVED,
TOO STRONG TOBE SELF DESTROYED
Bishop Bashford-, Points Out
Reasons for Hope of Con-
tinuation of Republic

That no wise nation viii lightly at
tempt the conquest or dismember-
ment of China and that the Chinese
will ultima .CIy establish a stable
democratic government, though they
may frs spend forty years in the
J. w. Bashford, who few weeks ago
passed through Honolulu en- route to
the Orient after a visit to the main
land during which he Is said TO have
exchanged views with President Will
son over the Chinese question.
! Bishop Bashford, for many years
Methodist Episcopal bishop Of Picking,
is considered one of the best inform
ed Americans or Chinese topics and
his opinions bear weight. The follow.
ing article from his pen was publish.
September under the title What,
Actually, Is to Become Of China" I
Strong A. Other People. s.r=r
The western world underestimates
the strength Of the Chinese. They
have maintained a civilization and an
independent government for over
three thousand years, and they have
grown to q population Of from three
to four hundred million people. Man
for man. In industry and trade, they
are as strong as any other people up.
on the globe. During SO per. cent of
their history the Chinese have been
stronger politically and as a military
power than the Japanese. It is not
incredible that, during two thousand
years Of history even strong ma
ton might suffer, from Illness and a
smaller nation might temporarily ex.
eel her In military power. But 1t is
quite incredible that people so
strong and virile as the Chinese and
now rapidly mastering modern civil.
lization, should remain permanently
inferior. even IN military strength. to
q people not one-sixth as numerous as
themselves. 49,. n, ,......
The Chinese are rot the peace.
able. easily governed people they are
commonly represented 10 be. During
the last two thousand years OF his
tory they have averaged a war, either
external or Internal. every fifteen
years. In the TAPPING rebellion. 1852
10 1866. the loss was twenty millions,
according to Wells Williams, perhaps
the best American authority upon
China. - : -.Es.f .-'.ls.
No wise nation will enter lightly
and hastily upon the conquest Of q
nation as large as China with such q
for fighting; and 1t Is doubt.
full if any modern nation ultimately
will survive the attempt to conquer
and rule the Chinese. While China
may bes facing today disasters and
wars and even q temporary overthrow
OF the government, the Chinese peo-
pie are not facing permanent conquest
by any foreign nation. =.
Have Had elf-Government 4 b:
AS to the type or government the
Chinese have been accustomed, to al
large extent to local self-government
for more than two Thousand years.
Even during the long centuries in
which the government of China has
been IN form and, to some extent. in
reality . despotism, that despotism
has not gone below The Hsien, or dis
trict city. The Hsien official was the
lowest official appointed by the EN-.
peror; and his duties were largely
limited to the collection of taxes and
the preservation of peace throughout
his districts district averaging the
size of a county In the United States,
but with the average population of a
congressional district Local seIf-gov.
eminent. beginning with the family
and advancing to the clan, to the
wards and the villages, met the des.
cending imperial authority in the
Hsien city. II the people paid the