Milford chronicle., 1921-10-14
UNCLE TED'S
BEDTIME STORIES
UNCLE TED TALKS ON CHINA

Uncle Ted had been giving an ac-
count of the arrival in the United
States of foreign representatives in
preparation for the conference on lin
itatiOn of armaments. He had COM
mented on the fact that the Chinese
delegates were among the first arrlV-
ais and that they were seeking to in
terest the United States in their de-
fense against the claims of Japan.
HAS China ever done anything for
u.s." asked Ruth.
mo. China has never done anything
for the United States in particular"
replied Uncle Ted, "and there is no
special obligation on our part to help
her out of her troubles, but it is quite
natural that China should come to us
first for aid.
"Why?" inquired Jack.
Well, you see,' responded Uncle
Ted, among all the important ma
tions of the earth, the United States
is the only one that has proved to be
an unseifish friend of China in the
past. Now that seems like harsh
thing for an American to say, but 1t
is literally true. l can remember that
when l was a boy in the common
schools one of our biographies had
change in the map of China and we
were told that Indo-China had become
A part of France. The French simply
went in and took it. Great Britain
took one important port and Germany
took control of another. Russia grab
bed some Chinese territory on the
North and finally Japan provoked a !
war with China and took possession
of Corea. Russia had been claiming
some rights in Manchuria, which was /
suppOsed to be a sort of Chinese pro-
vince. and Russia and Japan went to
war and Russia was whipped, or, ra-
ther. the war was brought to an END
when Russia was getting the worse
of it. Anyway, Japan practically took
away China's interests in Manchurla.
Then when the European war broke
out Japan Joined on the side OF the
Allies against Germany and went III
and took possession OF the GERMAN
concessions in China.
But l am getting ahead OF my
story. You remember, perhaps, near
ing about the Boxer troubles in emma
That happened before you were born' J
but it is in your history and II you
haven't come to it yet, you will some {
day. Well, anyway, the truth about II
is that very large number of Chln- ;
ese cot angry about the way other ma I
tions were grabbing their territory |
and demanding the right to control !
their commerce, their railroads, etc. :
These Chinese started trouble sucn I
as we would call a riot or rebellion
in this country. They acted without +
the orders of the Chinese government z
and in defiance of the government a
and vet 1 suspect that the government
officials were a whole lot in sympathy /
with them. The Boxers were not MAD 6
1t any foreign government in partlc- il
liar. but at all foreigners. They not
,nlv attacked foreign private citizens \
mt they attacked the foreign embas- ID
;ies-the places where the representa-
ives of foreign govrnments live-anu W
hev killed some people and imprlson- O
II others. In order to rescue those f;
Who were besieged, the other leadlnS C
,ations went in with troOps-aIl the Il
mnortant nations sending some SOL
Iiers The United States sent some. IL
IS a result. peace was restored ana b.
,bina apologized for the outrage. But fe
he other nations demanded damages hi
-indemnities. China agreed to pay
he damages but this country declln- tE
Il to accent any more than enough TO tu
eimburse private claims. 70
"Now YOU can understand why is
bina looks upon the United States as
er one unselfish friend. Practically he
very other nation had been grapDlns wi
hinese territory, but the Unlteu fu
tates never had. Then, when all the
ations had been awarded damages Ba
le United States declined to accept he
nv for herself. Other nations nau I'M
revoked the Boxer uprising and the it
mericans had not. But it was tne in
nited States that showed the only ful
iendly and forgiving spirit. vet
But what is China in trouble about EN-
)w?" asked Jack. wi
'Well, as told you moment ago. da,
hen Japan went into the European
ar. she took the German possessions fin
China. Then, while the war was pre-
!. Japan made 21 demands upon /
ina which, if agreed to, would mean tar
at Japan would control China for the
future time. Japan claims that chi w.
did virtually agree to these de- to
ands, but China denies this. jar
II rather think that Great Britain huI
,de a sort of agreement to uphold n
pans claims, without knowing the Rel
portance they would play, and relf
Dpose the British government feels v
It it must not oppose Japan even spe
t does not actively support it in the Rot
reasonable demands upon CHINA. N
t whatever the British government min
IS. the British people will not stand ativ
any such injustice. The govern N
nts of Australia and Canada and Gus
nth Africa, which are British do Phi
Mons, are opposed to the Japanese and
.essions against China. The whole S.
rid, when it comes to understand amC
situation, will condemn Japan. But nins
looks as though perhaps the jap l., CT
,se diplomats during the war were son
smart for the British diplomats riag
may have gotten them to agree to cob
much. don't know whether that Sara
10 or not, but we will known pref Fral
soon. both
Anyway, President Harding real Parl
that there can not be permanent Line
ce unless all such questions affect o.
nations bordering on the Pacific with
an are settled, and he is trying to onat
e them settled before there is an MI
cement reached regarding the linn in
ion of armamentS. A.
Tapan, of course, wants to post was
e taking up these questions, for last
is in possession now, and the I'll
,er she can put things off, the bet who
her claims will be-" fever