The Washington times., 1921-11-30
CHINA SHOULD
WIN 1OPO|NTS,
WR|TERFEELS
Mary Roberts Rinehart Believes
intelligence Of Nation Is
Underesti.nated.
BY MARY ROBERTS RINEHART,

BY MARY ROBERTS RINEHART,
Wilton Expressly for Universal Service.
Copyright. 1891. BY Universal serviceo
One reason why the United States
is compelled to mix in the Chinese
situation IL that we are partially re-
sponsible for that situation. II was
at our request that she abandoned her
neutrality and broke off diplomatic
relations with Germany. entering the
war soon after.
Yet China believed, and still be-
lieves. that Germany WAS more her
friend than any of the other European
| nations. The Germans had treated
her Of recent years with marked re.
epect. had been tactful and courteous.
She had no quarrel with Germany.
On the other hand, the allies she was
asked to join included Japan, which
she fears, and the British and French.
both Of whom she mistrusted. Prob
ably, II she disliked one more than
another. II was the British, who sent
the opium which has been their ma.
tional curse, and who had sent the
ultimatum concerning Thibet.
But, nevertheless. at the request OF
President Wilson and on the represen-
his coterie In Picking. China, after a
neutrality Of twenty months, broke
with Germany. Her neutrality from
the first had been q farce, for II was
constantly infringed upon by those
who later became her allies, and she
could no longer uphold II.
She went into the war, however. un
der direct promise from us Of pro-
lection and an honorable seat at TIL,
peace table. plunged herself on the
war issue into civil strife at home
saw her young republic die as result
and became a victim of greed fror
without and within. to find at the enc
that she was not only not to share
the victory. but was to be herself pa
Of the spells of war.
Japan has not been China's only
enemy. In her policy toward China
as In other ways. Japan has been a
follower of Europe. That she ma,
be China's only enemy in the futur
is another matter. For nothing
more clear than that. with or withou
European alliances, Japan has III
commanding position over China.
This position may be strenthened
rather than weakened by the H.
naval disarmament program. f.
Japan's ratio, while small. can h.
supplemented by fertilization OF the
islands along the $50 miles OF sea
way to the coast Of Asia, and hc
lines OF communication thus KEEP
clear, while at the same time tn
burden Of her eight-eigh program IL
removed. With this advantage is the
additional one that fleets sent against
her would be thousands OF miles fror
their base. The ratio Of three battle.
ships against five. or even ten, is thus
less valuable than It appears.
That the Chinese will have enemies
sometimes disguised as friends. &C
long as they are rich and the rest of
the world wants their riches. must lie
accepted. That they will not be able
to protect themselves until they cease
to be only a race and become a nation,
must also be accepted. That all OF
her former friendly enemies have
suffered a change of heart, and that
the lion lie down with the lamb except
with the lamb inside of him. may or
may not be accepted. The fact re.
mains that a good many people today
are seeking In the suspicious OF var.
ious nations directed against japan
relative to China the high moral
ground Of the adage, "set a thief to
catch a thiS."
The question relating to China then,
cleared Of confusing detail, is simply
choice of these three alternatives:
Shall China be allowed to protect her.
self? Shall japan protect her? Or
shall a consort of the powers protect
her. each against the other?
She will probably get the pro-
tectorate, but to presuppose that
China will remain in her present
chaotic condition unless orders is
imposed from without, is to commit
the common fault of all white peo-
pies, that is. to underestimate the
intelligence OF the Chinese.
Yet they are an older people than
the Japanese, a finer race in many
ways and at least as intelligent.
Sooner or later. with the help Of the
powers or more quickly without that
help. China will stand of her own
feet. Why not let her learn how to
walk alone?
Far-seeing craftsmanship would do
| this, would face the immediate chaos
for the gradually emerging order:
would grant China her ten points
and more II she wanted them; would
| warn off Japan and any other pos
sible trespassers, and would save
itself the cost of an intervention
that is always expensive and seldom
safiafactOry