The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1916-04-19
Young China Mo1ement
Born in Rebels ProDince|
And II is Not at All Strange
People There Should Declare
Their independence.

WASHINGTON, April le.-"The
great province OF Kwang-tung, third
in size Of the eighteen political divis-
Ions Of China proper, in modern times
has been the center OF many Of the po-
litlcal activities which have disturbed
the Celestial empire. and II is not sur
prislng that It's people should be
among the first to declare their indie
pendence from the national govern
ment" says a bulletin OF the National
Geographic Society Of Washington, is
sued today.
ut was in this province" continues
the bulletin. that the Young China
movement had its birth in 1895. The
secret societies of Canton, the capital.
practically financed the revolution
which followed, resulting seventeen
years later in the overthrow OF the
Manchu dynasty and the establishment
OF a republic with DR.. Sun Yat-sen as
the first president DR.. Sun himself
came from Canton and was the first
graduate OF the college OF medicine
at Hong-kong. =
Are Phrase. Makers.
The Cantonese have been an inspir-
alton to phrase-makers for years. Be
cause OF their gift for political organ
izatlon they have been called the
Irish OF China while their penchant
for political unrest has caused them
to be dubbed the rebellion-makers in
ordinary to the Chinese people His
torians see a striking analogy between
Canton's relation to the Chinese ma
ton in 1912 and that Of Paris to pro-
vincial France in 1889.
MANY factors have contributed to
the unrest in the province OF Kwang-
trng, one Of the most important being
the struggle for sheer existence in
state which with an area equal to
South Dakota has TO support popula-
ton fifty times as great.
Seething Humanity.
Canton itself is a city OF seething
humanity with streets so narrow that
only coolies can be employed as
beasts of burden A large percentage
OF the people live in small boats which
form a floating floor on the thick wat
ers of the Pearl river. So precious
is space that the shops are reduced to
mere boxes; so close is the margin OF
profit and so small the purchases that
beans and peanuts are sold by in
dividual count.
Geographically. the two provinces
OF Kwang-si and Kwang-tung are cut
off from northern and central China
by mountain ranges which are mod
erate1y rich in mfnerals-iron, gold
and a cheap grade Of coal. The soil is
fertile and some OF the chief products
are sugar, coco-nuts and betel nuts.
Silk, firecrackers, mating, ginger and
palm-leaf fans are the chief exports.
THE Cantonese were among the first
Chinese people to come In general con-
tact with the outside world. The
Arabs reached the shores OF the mari
time province in the tenth century and
soon these hardy sailors were acting
us captains Of Chinese iunks sailing
TO Manila. Java, Borneo and Siam. The
first Europeans to reach Canton by sea
were the Portuguese. Two years be-
fore Cortez landed in Mexico, Emanuel,
king OF Portugal. sent an ambassador
with eight ships around the Cape OF
Good Hope to induce the emperor of
China TO sanction trade relations with
the nation Of navigators. The mission
was successful and the visitors were
allowed to enter the harbor of Canton.
Hostile Reception.
More than a hundred years later
the English arrived and met with
hostile reception on account Of a re-
cent rupture in the friendly relations
between the Portuguese and the ma
tives. II was not until 1885 that the
emperor finally sanctioned trade re-
lations with Great Britain, naming
Canton as the only port OF entry.
"Of Canton's population. variously
estimated at from 100000 to 10000 !
only about 400 are foreigners. most OF
whom reside in the Sha-mien settle
ment, an artificial island reclaimed by
the British from an extensive mud fiat.
Although characterized by Caucas-
ian observers as sullen in their polit-
ical antipathies. the Cantonese are
cheerful. Industrious and intelligent
people in their daily lives. They ac.
cept philosophically their many hard
ships and receive with stoical fortitude
the visltations Of pestilence. which
from time to time removes much OF
the surplus population.
! Perhaps it was the scarcity Of food
which caused the Cantonese TO include
in their menus many 'delicacies' not
so classed by western people. For
example, there is breed OF dog which
is fattened in this great city and much
priced by those who can afford moro
than rice diet. Cats. hawks and
| birds nests are also regarded as APP