The sun., 1919-09-24
CHINA AWAKENING
TO MODERN NEEDS
System Of Education on West
ern Models One Impor-
- tant Step.
FREE PRESS GREAT AID
Development Of Constitutional
Government Is Going on
Steadily.
FREE PRESS GREAT AID
By JULIAN ARNOLD.

Amerfoon Commercial Attachs, Pekin
Many westerners to-day contrast un
favorably undeveloped, disorganized
China with a well ordered. developed and
strongly ruled Japan, and rashly dc>ree
that China Is fated evermore TO remain
undeveloped and disorganized unless
some strong power from without imposes
dictatorship and orders the railroads
built. the mines developed and all the
material blessings Of modern science and
industry bestowed upon II against the
protest of people whose civilization, an
tedating that of all nations extant to-
day. should entitle them to a voice In
the matter. These unreasonable, superb
cial critics of China fail to take cog.
nizance Of the fact that the Japan Of to.
day with its railways, steamships and
factories and army and navy Is not the
japan OF yesterday.
Japan deserves credit for what II has
accomplished during the last forty years.
IT IL because Japan has been able to dc
what 1t has during this period that we
should dispel pessimistic views regarding
the future Of the larger, Weather west
ern neighbor. Progress In China, as
measured by the ordinary present day
conception OF progress has been slow
30 slow In fact that In the eyes Of some
observers almost anything by way of
action from without 10 justihabis to has
ten this movement These unsympathetic
OF superficial critics OF the Chinese peo-
pie fall to take coglizance OF q number
Of factors. which naturally have pre-.
vented rapid developments among the
loosely organized. democratic pacifist
people of China, among which are:
The extensive area of the country Ha
continental nature, it's natural barriers,
which have cut II of from contact with
the outside world and Its large popula-
ton.
The perpetuation through a period Of
many centuries Of a system of education
which, like the education OF medieval
Europe, directed the minds of the peo-
pie to the past and cast the intellect Of
the nation in a mold. This system in
china encouraged the development of
Individual. as represented by the family
init. rather than group or social &C
tivity.
The lack of n military caste or an
aristocrocy. which when the need of
changes became apparent, might have
assumed the leadership and hastened lie
velopments. as in the case of Japan. In
democratic China progress must proceed
from the bottom UP rather than from the
top down. slower progress.
Changes During Twenty Years.
To those who continue to criticize
China for what they term lack of abil
| ity to do anything for itself let US point
| to the phenomenal Developments of the
| last twenty years, developments which
show for little on the surface but speal;
volumes for the future because Of their
very depth Among these may DO men
tened:
The abolition OF the system Of educa-
| ton based upon the classics and the sub
stitution in it's place of system based
| en- western models This means that
| China Is executing the order about
| face" and looking into the future and
away from the past. Let 1t be said to
the credit of those who are instituting
| this new education that 1t looks for its
model to the remarkable system devel-
oped for the people Of the Philippine ISL
| ands.
Tho development of a constitutional
| government has come as result Of
| China's contact with the west. The
| events of the last twenty years will be
| recorded in history as epoch making In
their influence on the extension OF con-
| stitutional and representative govern
| ments in the Far East.
The rise and growth of the native
press, which is quietly assuming an in
| f1uential position In forming public
! opinion among the Chinese people. For
| eigners In China do not all appreciate
the force OF this army OF educators rcp-
| resented by the native press, which Ia in
| evidence in every city OF China and
which has had Its inception since 1900
There is no one development in China
during the last twenty years which
| lends more hope for the future or indi-
! Gates more clearly that the people are
sound at heart than the effective work
| which has been done by the Chinese
| themselves to rid their country Of the
curse Of opium. In spite Of the lack Of
| a strong centralized Government, In spite
| Of its revolution and rebellions. In spite
of the efforts Of certain interests to force
the drug on the people China has dono
noble work in its opium suppression
| campaign.
Probably the greatest development in
| China in its significance for the future
| is the growth of a national spirit which
| ss modern educational facilities Increase,
will 20 forth with greater Strides.
How the West Can Help China.
| We have then In the above factors
making for progress In China great es-
sentlals to the development of a free
| and strong people. With this foundation
the west need not fear for the future
Ct China 80 long as the west adopts at
attitude Of patient, kindly. helpful sym
patty and establishes It's relations In
such a way that the principles of the
open door and of equal opportunity be
come an actually, and they cannot &c
become until all so-called spheres OF
influence are abolished and all foreign
railways in China are internatonalized
and deprived of all political significance
In trying to secure some idea of the
rotentialities Of China in commerce anf
Industry we can probably do no better
than to contrast It with the develop
lnents in the United States, a continental
country with an area and many physi'
cal characteristics quite similar. W.
must. however, always bear In mind thai
We have in China a population foul
times as great as that OF the United
states Of to-day, and that China and thu
territory contiguous gives us one-hal'
of the population OF the earth. We heal
much of the foreign trade of Austr ALASKA
which In the aggregate IL equivalent Il
F, almost as much as that OF China, bu
1 a. a