The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-05-08
r. LOWRY'S PLEA FOR
CHINA.
The Missionary Point Of View Criti-
cised-DO the Twenty Ave Arti-
cles Really Close the Open Door?


To THE EDITOR OF THE suN-Si-: It
would he a bit unkind at the outset
Of modest comment on the Rev. Or.
H. IT. Lowry's attack upon Japan,
published broadly in this mornings
SrN. to say that missionaries. In com
mon with caterpillars, are apt for self
protective motives to take the color
Of the particular tree on which they
feed; at any rate II holds good OF the
missionaries to China, as It held good
Of the missionaries to Corea who
brought such trouble on that country,
even II one admits they had only an
unconscious share in the famous as
sassinatlon plot. They certainly chung
to the rotten native despotisn. and
Corean maIcontents. honest and dis
honest, took advantage Of II for their
own ends. once more illustrating the
dangers OF the parson In politics. They.
in fact. put In jeopardy great relig
ious cause. out Of political sympathy
or, shall We say2 under the local poli,-
ical pressure Of a corrupt officialdom
and a court stepped In intrigue. II is
always understood and generally pro-
claimed that the missionary societies
in America base their plea for good
treatment In foreign countries upon
strict neutrality In politics. The Rev.
DR.. Lowry and his congeners in Pekin
have no hesitation. however. in spring
ing into the arena and dealing out re-
sounding thwacks from their holy
cudgels upon the skulls Of those. rev.
erent and lrreverent who happen to
differ with them.
II IL we'll to remember that Mr..
Lowrys outburst is dated April 8, and
that II reaches the public eye here n
month and three days later. I have
used the word ''outburst" because Of
the letters inordinate and uncalled
for exaggeration. and because II fol-
lows in publication the famous $4,000
missionary cable yram and other polit-
ico-religious missionary outg!vings
from Pekin. which are all tame beside
the Lowry eruption. II Ia over a
month since II was dropped seething
on the paper, and the particular trans
latlon OF the japanese terms which
he submits has since been discredited
in parts. notably It's concluding phrase
in which the word Buddhism" Ia In
u u,
does not appear IN the original Japa-
nese. Since then sundry other items
have been modified and the text re-
divided. 30 that II II twenty-five. not
| twenty-one. articles that are in nego-
tiation. and his TRANSLATION OF tho text
Is therefore without value.
I am not about 10 pass the twenty
Ave articles in review. In all they are
simply matters that the high contend
ing parties may bargain about. n
they violate the integrity Of Chinese
territory. Mr.. Lowry does not show
when. where or how II they close the
"open door" he does not show a hand
in the neighborhood OF the doorknoh.
Nay. will go further and say that II
the japanese demands appear in part
TO limit the fun exercise by China's
Government OF the power to do what
II darn pleases" in China, II Is in all
such cases for China's eood--to pre-
vent China from that very signing
away Of China's birthright which has
been It's practice for the last half cen
fury. as much under Yuan Shih-k'a'
as under the Manchu emperors.
Indeed. one has not TO go deeply
into the Rev. DR.. Towry's argument
to feel acutely that II Ia the disturb
ance Of olden wrongs TO the integrity
OF China rather than the imposition
OF new ones that troubles the doctor
There is a suspicious gingeriness In
his references to Japan's great service
10 China in uprootlng and throwins
of the German grip on the vitals OF
China: no reference AT all to England's
foothold al Wei hal wei II !s. ! hoil
important 10 the future OF China that
her present rulers should he deharret
from setting up new coastal and insu-
lar cessions or leasings TO European
Powers In exchange for helping
Yuan's rule around the sharp corner:
OF his policy with a bag OF ready
money. Nothing. we know. would suit
Yuan's Cabinet better than 10 have
the power to grant mining or leas-
ing concessions wherever II coud
set them up without reference 10 pre-.
v!ous ones.
IL u sinister or 10 II sound sense &c
guard China against such self-destroy
ing practices?
As 10 the demands in Shantung anC
the railroad connections herewith. are
they In advance OF Germanys lat,
holdings and aims there And sC
of the South Manchurian and Inner
Mongolia demands. Are they in any
way beyond what the experience o.
the last ten years suggests as neces,
sary TO japanese settlers and mer,
chants in exercising their treaty rights
Are the Chinese police in those prov,
inces fair to foreigners? Is III,
popu'ace tolerant OF outside Sarba
rians' 10 that II can be truSed T.
refrain from riot and outrage in day,
OF excitement? II Is not: new
condition Of looting and brtgandag'
has sprung up since the revolution
the sort OF thing which the Whit,
!, Wolf personifed. Tho innocent look
ing coolie Of to-day 10 tho ruthless
cutthroat OF tomorrow, or Woe versa
Southern Manchurta itself is far from
free Of such gentry. operating ever
within a few miles Of the South Man
chur.a railroad. why would II not III
salutary TO have a few Japanese or
the police In such quarters? Tha
Ia all Japan asks in this relation.
As to the lines where Japans de
mands are supposed to run foul o
England's or Frances holdings O
spheres. why, II is tho cue of thos
nations to object. I do not pretend Il
judge. the Rev. Mr.. Lowry canno
teach them. Long as he has been II
China, England was there before him
on the questions OF making or buy
ing weapons or hiring the services o