New-York tribune., 1919-03-23


helping itself to the spoils, but accepting
no responsibility for a constructive pro-
gramme leading TO national solvency.
Because of these conditions there is
longing for delivcrance, personal and ma
tonal, in the minds OF both masses and
classes in China. 1t is believed by whole
ranges of the population that Western cd
ucation is essential for the solution of her
problems and along with that belief is the
feeling that the religion of the West, which
is inseparaby bound up with the best of
Western education which has come to China
during the last century, is likewise essen
tial to Chinas salvation The Chinese
look to Christianity possible means of
salvation from conditions which are be-
coming more and more unbearable.
"The commercial pressure on China grow
ing out of the present world plans of the
nations will force China to a speedy politi-
cal housekeeping and settlement of her
internal disorders will bring to the front
men of modern education, who were for
merly completely submerged and even un-
der the government have been rele-
gated to subordinate positions. Even the
republic has put at the top often men of
the old training and of very conservative
tendencies, not to say reactionary.
"World commerce and the peace table de-
mand China built along modern lines and
greater recognition must be given the prod
ucts of modern education. The men and
women trained in church schools will have
far greater influence in China in the next
few years than ever"
For moment DR.. Ward looked out into
busy Fifth Avenue and it occurred to me
that perhaps he bringing his thought
back to America, but he was sending it still
further afield.
"In addition to Chna's problem,~ he
said, "there is that of Malaysia, the cradle
of a new race. The Malay archipelago Is
the richest undeveloped country in the
world. It has a population to-day of S0,-
100000 and scientists say it is easily ca
pable of supporting six times that number
Another century will see it with 100000
600 people, very likely. The Chinese are
going down there to the number of 250,0O0
every year and $4,000 Indians are flocking
there annually. The Chinese are doing the
business of Malaysia and will continue to
do so.
"Chinese revolutions are largely en-
gineered and financed from Malaysia, just
as Latin-American revolutions are fomented
in New York
"This island nation has a million square
miles, which, properly developed could feed
all China and India. The British admins
ter the Malay Peninsula and North Borneo
tho n,rto l,o1<I
Borneo and Celebes TIL. tendency of the
Chinese here is toward the Christian re-
ligion The Methodist Church has in Singa-
pore in the Anglo Chinese College the onl.
school of college rank within radius o:
twelve hundred miles of that city, drawing
from population four-ffths as large al
that of the entire United States!
"This college has the support Of the Chi
nese business men of Singapore and round
about, even of those who are not Chris
tians. While was there last one of them
gave q $4,000 subscription toward its
finances. 1T is not that believe as you do
that I give this he said, but my race has
such need of education and you people have
the goods, as you say in America. / want
to help you deliver them
81 am sometimes asked if the Chinese are
really open to education and can be easily
shown the advantages of Occidental ways
and methods. There is only one answer.
They are still bringing iron ore down the
mountainside in handbarrows, and China
men making steel in the great mills at
Hankow for wage of $3.50 month in our
money, while steel workers performing the
same operations in the great plants at Lo-
raine, Ohio, for instance q happen to be
personally familiar with those), are getting
from SO to Sc a day, but it isn't that the
Chinaman wouldn't be very glad to come
up to the American level.
Ear from it. You show a Chinaman a
picture Of the Brooklyn Bridge or one of
the magnificent bridges recently thrown
across the Mississippi and contrast it with
a picture of one of their rustic foot bridges
across important streams, which carry a
volume of travel far greater in proportion
to their size, and you hardly have to do
any talking at all. He can get it; and the
best of it is the Chinaman believes he can
learn the ways of Western civilization, and
it is astonishing how he does learn"