Pueblo chieftain., 1921-03-13
An Investment In China

Twenty-onc years ago this summer the Boxer up
rising occurred in China Following that uprising the
American government collected twenty-five million IN
demny later Secretary of State John Hay discovered
that seven million five hundred thousand dollars would
pay all of the damages done to American citizens and
property He then performed task unheard of in the
annals of diplomatic negotiations; he returned the sew
cnteen and onchalf million dollars to China.
The Chinese government put the money on interest
the amount thus raised to be used for the education OF
Chinese boys in America. America never made bet
ter investment from any view point 1t brought the
Chinese government and the American government into
bonded union that not enjoyed by any other govern
r1ent with China In the interim over ten thousand
Chinese boys have been educated in American schools
and are back in China and have established American
governmental and institutions in that vast
domain. The day that John Hay handed back to China
the seventeen and ono half million dollars there
lust sixty miles of railroad in the entire Chinese ter
rtory today there arc six thousand miles of railroad
On that eyentfu day twcntyonc years ago. there were
Just two hundred and twelve postoffces In Chlna To-Day
there are twenty thousand rostoffces
At that time the alphabet consisted of over two
Thousand characters and there were no free schools AT
ALL today the Chinese alphabet consists of thirtyeish
letters and there forty thousand public schools
thruout the government.
This change came about directly because of that
investment of seventeen and one-haf million doiars
and thru the work of the missionaries.
Today China faces situation not faced by any
country on tho face of tho globe Fifty-fvc millions
of her people hungry and fifteen millions of them
will die within the next four months, unless relief Is
brought TO them Immediately. Tho greatest suffering
is in the provinces where the Boxer uprsncs occurred
There has been rain in the district for over two
years with the result that the wheat and barley crops
were absolute failures. The other districts of China
arc suffering food shortages When resident of the
stricken district tries TO to another district he is
sent back Thrt.iyc million Chinese are living of
the bark of elm ash or willow trees on corn cobs
ground or crushcd-or else chnf, potatoops or the
ground dry leaves of trees and bushes, whichever in
gradients they have they mix with water, mash and
form into biscut-shape and bake it, If they have no
fire they eat the food raw.
There has been in the worlds history such
a catastrophe facing n people ANY bank in the state
will receive contributions for these people and will send
the contributions to the proper parties. Three dollars
will keep person living from until harvest time
|. Would America have an opportunity to make
a better investment If the seventeen and one-halt
million invested in the Boxer uprising the best in
vestment ever made and it far exceeded in returns the
Alaskan investment, would not seventeen and one-half
million dollars invested in China right be still
greater and profitable inyestment than the oheri