Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1916-12-15

yesterday. 1t is no longer a
country of small shops, rickshaws, and
coolies. Canton is going in for mod
ern department stores and SkyScrap-
ers; automobiles are displacing wheel
barrow carts and other clumsy vehicles
in Shanghai and elsewhere; the cOun-
try is building railroads, and fewer or
ders are going abroad for locomotives,
cars and coaches, which means that
China is learning to build these things,
says Monroe WoOlley writing in Grit.
The dragon, long Slumbering, is now
thoroughly awakened. Sun Vat Sen
and Yuan Shi Kai, although enemies
politically, set an alarm clock that has
jumped China out of lazy bed at a
single bound.
Industry is the leading progressive
influence of the age. 1t is the factor
which more than all else is to lead the
Chinese to better things just as the
paganism to full-fledged civilization in
a few decades. China will change to
the new order of things almost over
night. She will cast off the cloak of
medievalism and grab a garment of
western cut much quicker and much
more effectually than did her neigh
Dor beyond the strait.
In Hankow, China already has a
promising industrial capital. Hankow
might properly be termed the New
York and Brooklyn of the empire be-
cause two large cities are divided by
the Yangtse Kiang. But the Chinese
insist that Hankow is designed to be
their Pittsburgh, and the nature of the
city's business makes comparison to
our own steel center more lifting.
Hankow is a humming hive of indus
try, and the Chinese declare it will
keep humming as long as China lasts.
That may be long, long time, for the
ancient empire can prove an antiquity
of 5000 years.
Hankow's Fortunate Fire.
AS in the case of Chicago, a fateful
fire has been the making of Hankow.
1t was burned during the rebellion of
1911-1912. Following the fire the gov
eminent borrowed 100000 pounds
sterling of British capitalists to rebuild
and improve the city. An appropria-
ton of nearly $50,O00,000 should effect
a wonderful change in China's indus
trial center, which is already China's
most interesting city, especially from
an economic standpoint.
Hankow may be said to be three
cities in one. HankOw and Hanyang,
between which is the colossal steel
works, are located on one side of the
river while Wuchang lies opposite. One
of the projects planned with the Dor
rOwed money is a huge bridge to span
the Han river or tunnel to run be-
meath it-probably both. The Han
divides Hanyang and Hankow and
empties into the Yangtse Kiang oppo-
site Wuchang.
Part of the funds will be used to con-
struct commercial canal back of Han
kow proper, with the necessary
bridges. An elaborate system of
wharves is now under way, and nego-
tiations are advancing to purchase the
city's electric light and water works,
owned privately. Trolley systems are
likewise to be built. Considerable
money will be put in reclamation pro-
jects In and about the triumvirate of
cities TO be known as Greater Hankow.
The Hankow Improvement bureau will
be dominated by the British, and the
engineer appointed to reconstruct Chi
mas Pittsburgh will quite probably
come from Europe.
1t is the central government of China
which is overseeing the rebuilding of
busy Hankow. This is fitting since the
city was destroyed by the rebels. The
revolution started in Wuchang, where