The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 19??-1922, 1921-12-14
WHEN CHINA wAKEs-LoOK QUIT


It seems to be fundamental rule of this uni
verse Of ours that everything moves in cycles
And, like everything else, the history Of Chin'
has moved in cycles.
Students of history have observed that these
Icycles Of Chinese history have a time diameter o.
about 1900 years.
For 1900 years China seems to maintain az
upward march of progress. For the succeeding
1900 years the Fowery Kingdom seems then t.
slip backward; to slip gradually downward unit
at last she wallows in the slough Of abysna
despond Then she seems to strike bedrock anc
gradually starts to rise again.
1t would be we'll for the western nations to take
cognizance Of the fact that China has now come
to the end of one of these long downward sWOops
She has completed the dizzy drop
She has touched bottom.
She is due to rise.
1t might be we'll for all Of US to observe that
underneath the sumber robes of this sleepy old
philosopher are thews of iron and biceps of steel.
1t is only because of her lack of interest in mill
tary life that China is not the most powerful ma
ton on earth She has the brains, the population,
the resources and the courage.
Don't ever imagine that it is because of lack Of
courage that China has not turned to soldering.
Some of the most astounding deeds Of military
heroism to be read in history are told of the
troops defending China against the early Mongol
invasions
That the great men of China have not been
soldiers has been simply because China despises
soldiers. They think fighting is for wild beasts.
They do not know patriotism as we understand
the term
China has profound racial patriotism; but
nationalism is a late accomplishment for her. She
is proud of being great race; but a country
means TO China nothing but convenient political
China has no national hymn and
very little national spirit. Her soil has ben con-
luered innumerable times Whenever these inva-
5ions have occurred in modern times the foreign
invaders have never found the slightest difficulty
in hiring Chinese troops to help them invade.
China seems to have chung to the theory that
is the most powerful defense. In
a certain sense this philosophy has been justified
by results. China has been conquered times with
out number; but the conqueror has always been
melted up and absorbed in the process. Where
are the conquering Mongols; where are the con-
luering Manchus? They are all Chinese. China
simply opened arms and-then swallowed them.
But modern condtions-due to rapid transpor-
-ation and rapid unication-brought about
changes. China can no longer swallow them up
as fast as they come. They can come too fast
So the weary, sleepy old philosopher has stirred
n his sleep.
"We are peaceabe people," remarked al
Chinese diplomat 1--WE want to be let alone and
o let others alone Do not force us to turn toI
he business of making war; or you may have
'eason to regret it."
The possibilities back of the diplomats remark
ire terrible to contemplate.
China's population has been variously estimat-
ID at from 3O0000,000 upward. There have been
political reasons why the census in China has al
Ways been tempered with. One census shows it'll
It 400,000,000 The next census, to further the
schemes of some willy mandarin shows sudden
hrinkage Of 100,000000. The most recent esti-
mates of we-known European experts place the
population at nearly 100000, 000-a third of the
population of the world.
Add to this fact the further fact that Chinese
merchants have shown the ability to drive out
ompetition wherever they found it (the Japs were
tarved out of Mongolia after they grabbed it,
The prospect of China one day coming to life and
demanding her rights does not cheer the heart of
he one contemplating