New Britain herald., 1917-08-29
China unified BY
WAR DECLARATION
Celestial Writer Believes Country
Is Stronger Than Ever
(By Han Liang Huans).


political question in China has been
the war question. Among other argu-
ments advanced by the advocates of !
war was that active participation
would help consolidate the various
contending elements Of the country
and stop the struggle of the political
factions. It is unfortunate that in
stead of consolidating the country the
war question precipitated a situation
which seemed, for moment at least,
to threaten to throw the country into
chaos and destruction.
Looking at it from a different angle.
however, the situation is not alto
sether as unfortunate as it seems.
Ever since the death of Yuan Shi-
kal and the inauguration of Ii Yuan
nung as the chief executive Of the 1
country, the Republic of China had
peen constantly threatened by the
hldden force of the reactionaries I'M
der the leadership of that freebooter,
Cnang Hsun, who has always been
disturbing element, even an enemy to
the Republic. With his mercenary
army, some forty thousand strong
an army which knows no allegiance
except to its chieftain-he has time
and again defled the constitutional
authority Of the country He has been
a thorn in the flesh so to speak, to
the Republic. 1t may be painful to
uproot the thorn, but the sooner 1t
Is done the better it will be for the
sufferer.
BY rising against the Republic
Chang Hsun has fastened his own de-
struction.
skeptical about the stability of the
Chinese Republic They think that
the republic is like a lighted candle
before the gale" liable to be extin-
guished at any moment. They be-
lieve that either Chinese Caesar will
appear on the scene and create a new
dynasty or the pigtailed Manchus will
come back. To one who knows China
and her people such an observation
alrears very superficial The res
toration of the Manchus Is an inapos-
sibility. To the Chinese the Manchu
court represents a regime of inef-
fciency, corruption and selfshness.
For years before the republic, the
people had 1abored increasingly, sac
rif1cing lives and property to get rid
Of it. Besides the consideration of
efficiency of government there is also
the question of racial prejudice and
pride. The Manchus are of a distinct
race from the Chinese who, far more
numerous in number and superior in
achieveme nt, have always considered
it an objectionable disgrace to be
ruled by the former. Throughout the
Manchu rule attempt after attempt
was made by the Chinese to recover
their country" This was true not
only when China came into contact
with the West, but even before the
modern ideas Of republicanism and
dem ocracy took any root in China.
The TAPPING rebellion is an example.
It is estimated that an attempt on the
part Of the Chinese to Dust the Man
chu rule cost the Chinese no less than
twenty million lives at least three or
four times as many as have yet per-
ished in the great world war. The
rapidity with which the country rose
to support the revolution of 1911 also
shows, conclusively, the strength of
the republican sentiment in China.
No one in China would conceive the
possibility of restoring the Manchu
regime except an interruptions reac-
tionary whose whole success in life
has been based upon plundering by
force, and whose energy in atrocities
plSdScu tIlc Md1S1lu ulS1o, Nld11S
Hsun, who, in point of time, is the
Rip Van Wrinkle of China.
Now, II the restoration of the
Manchu rule in China is impossible,
no less so is the creation of a new
dynasty. In China there are today
no nobility, no princes of royal blood
outside Of the Manchus. History
shows us that all monarchies and
dynasties are created upon the basis
of tradition and even superstitution;
and that no dynasty can be created
without some kind of historical back
ground. It would be almost as i'm
possible for China to have a hered-
itary king as for the United States to
have an emperor The only possible
type Of man for such an undertaking
is the late Yuan Shih-kai, a second
Of whom could perhaps never be
found; but even he failed miserably
in his attempt.
The Republic Of China will stay.
Instead Of showing its weakness, the
recent attempt to destroy it has
showed its stability ana strength.
It is true that there are at present
still two contending groups of men
in China. One Of these two groups
may be called the conservative. ~ 1T
consists mainly OF the men who are
in control Of the army. The other
group is the progressive, made up
chiefly Of the veterans Of the revolu-
tons and men who are strongly i'm
bued with new ideas and radical
principles. But both of the groups
are for the republic. They will strug-
gle for the control of the government:
but they are all Republicans. In
every country we And similar division
of political interests and there is no
reason for alarm over the existence of
such a division in China.
- China will op1v ho 1n+ alma -