Evening star., 1921-11-09
AMERICAN ADVISES
HANDS Off CHINA
:,
TX H. =
q 20.
Dr.. Ferguson Attacks World
Proposal to End Present
Disturbances There.

The suggestion of International CO.
operation by the world powers to end
the disturbances in China, and thus re-
move one of the big problems before the
arms conference, was scathingly de-
nounced by DR.. John c. Ferguson, Amer
lean adviser to the president of China.
in an address before the City Club fo-
rum luncheon yesterday. DIR. Ferguson.
who has lived In China for thirtythree
years and has held numerous high gov
ernmentaf Offices. recently arrived here
for the forthcoming conference. He has
been adviser to ale Chinese president
since 1917.
Tried I'm Siberiu.
without minimizing in the least the
present conditions in China, Dr. Fergu-
son said. ut is my most emphatic be-
lief that the only way to settle THE
problem is to let China do 1t herself.
A very subtle propaganda for lnierna
uonai control IL now going on III this
country. If know the American peo-
pie. they VIII never stand for joining
such a plan, for it would have to be
carried out by military force and l DO
not believe you could get corporafs
guard Of American boys for this kind
OF work. We tried it in Siberia, and
with special recruiting staff. the War
Department could get oniy two or three
hundred men who would join such ali
expedition.
speaking as an American citizen.
! say to you that if America should
OF on-tnterference for u mess of IN
terna cional control pottage for the
benefit OF few American investors,
she should be denounced by every
citizen Of the country. Such a poIlcy
fa IN hx. fn1 hy- n
international squabb1e tor spheres OF
Influence. so that it would only add
the squabbles of these powers to
China's own squabbies, without set
inimicai to our American ideals Of
self Vernment.
Let China be disturbed. Other ma
tions are disturbed; our own country
was disturbed for four years before
the question of state sovereignty WAS
settled; and after our revolution IL
took several years just TO get thir-
teen small colonies of meaEer popu-
lation into the first Federal Union.
But China has .thirtv-two subdiri-
sions. where ~e had thirteen; she has
I 4ee. 600, ,00e people and territory as
large as this whole country"
! Rule Of Law and Order.
- In reply to question. DR. Ferguson
said the Chinese genius for local self
government exceeded that Of any
ether people in the world. without
Of the central officials having any
| mandate from the people. or a'temrt-
ing TO enforce their powers. yer TINS
eenius for local self-government : IS
60 great that the rule Of law and
order in every city. and village is as
good as that in this country. The
common sense of the people insures
! it,.
To the question of John Barrett
former director of the Pan -Americar
| lack of transportation facilities was
not a bar to political union. as had
been proved by previous unions.
1.-The real basis of transportation
! is water" he said. land it has serve'
the needed purpose in the past. Nov
rail and wagon roads are being added
Financial union is as yet Impossible"
but political union is as possible as
1t was before 1912"
In reply to another question. DIR
Ferguson also asserted that C'hins
has the cash necessary for govern
| mental administration and will get i,
easily when II ceases to be absorbed
by the internecine conflicts.
Every one of the ras,als will NEE
| his fate" he said. ~ have neve-
!, seen 1t fail in the thirty-three years
I have been IN China. But in
nation of 4O0.0oc.O0O people. hampGrer
| by lack of a common language. O.
modern communications, all thing
take time. Remember that China i
the oldest government in the w-old
that she has tried every form of gov
ernment. She is giant. slow-mov
ing but sound and sure if let alone
China must settle her own problem.
! In her own way. as every nation ha'
done"
Claude Bennett. manager of RI
congressional information burear
| presided at the meeting. DR. Fer
guson was enthusiastically applaude
several times during his address. an
at its conclusion received a vote @
thanks.