The sun., 1919-11-05

This Is the second Of q series of drti-
oIes on Chinese fndcial and economic
topics tCTitten especially for the Far
Eastern Section Of THE SUN bu @.
Possert, late financial udviser to the
Bank Of China and resident IN the
East for tteenty.three years.
BY G.~PAssERI.
There Is a marked contrast between
the attitude OF the Chinese of to-day,
eager for the honest and friendly coop
GRAFTON Of the foreigners in the develop
ment OF the resources of China and that
or their forefathers, in their dealings
with the early traders We find now
the minds of the Chinese business men
almost free from any racial antipathy,
lntelligently open to the advantages that
would accrue to them and to their coun-
Wy through closer and more friendly
relations with the foreigners-if only
those relations were rendered possible
by the attitude of the foreigners them
eelves-if only the Chinese could be sat
isfied that admitting them in the inner
circle of their economic life would not
mean spheres of influence" or the greb-
bling of territory. disguised under. the
less prosaic name of concessions" or
special privileges"
We generally find the foreigners OBJ
durate in continuing using systems that
are obsolete and inefficient We find them
deaf to the call of millions of people
that need and want improvements and
developments, we find them blind to the
change that has taken place in the coun-
try, we find them unaware of the fact
that the Chinese of to-day-vthe modern
Chineee-ls not the objectional, preju-
diced and impossible individual OF the
old ~ fc hot q
explanation of this state of affairs could
be found In the impositions and exac-
tions that the old Chinese officials heaped
on the early foreign traders and in the
Ill treatment meted out by them to the
so-called foreign devils?
Is II possible that the lack of under
standing and the absence OF friendly re-
lations between foreigners and Chinese
existing In China to-day should be the
natural consequence of a heritage that
has come down to us from the older
times? It Is perhaps for that reason
that every newcomer hnds in foreign
circles there an atmosphere that cannot
be defined or explained, an atmosphere
that will gradually kill every enthusiasm
and that in a few months will develop
a peculiarly critical and distrusting feel
ing toward all Chinese. How much
better It would be II the foreigners real
lied that times have changed and that
the Chinese of to-day cannot be held re-
sponsible for the actions OF the "old
mandartns," and that the application Of
the new formula honest and friendly
cooperation with the Chinese themselves
is the only means to business success.
Americans the Pioneers.
II we except the irregular and adven-
turous incursions into China of the early
Arab, Portuguese and Dutch navigators.
the first real attempt on the part of the
foreigners to establish commercial rela-
tions with that country dates as far back
as 1884. when the co-called East India
Company, a ''monopolistic" undertake
ing, was established at Canton. The
success of this company In the new field
has been the subject of much discussisa
and speculation. The fact remains, hoY,-
ever that the company was dissolved In
1884 at the instance Of the few 'ilde>
pendent" British traders.
1t is interesting to note that DR.. Will
liams, the first American missionary to
go TO China, relates that at the time of
his arrival at Canton n few years before
the winding up of the East India Com
pany five Independent foreign firms were
established there struggling to overcome
the greed and prejudice of the old Chi
nese officials. OF these firms two were
Americans, Russell & Company and Oly-
phant & Company three were British,
Sardtne, Matheson & Company, Dent &
Company and Turner & COMPANY
Americans may therefore congratulate
themselves upon having been the pioneer
merchants who laid the foundation OF
the flourishing trade that is bound to de-
velop in the near future.
l wish also to note that Americans