New-York tribune., 1922-02-19
The Awakening Of China
Described by a Chinese
with an onstuded Vindication of the Greater
Truth of Kipling's Ballad Of
East and VVest''

d" american would look at Them ,oa
draws from them the same conc,,,;.
MS premises arc the sarnc 90 o
Is ms whole train of argument; SO ;s
ms quod erat demonstrandum.~ l. :.
were not for the name on tbo t,.
page and some statements in tbo ,.ar;
GUS 'h'roductions VIC MIGHT s,,rrosa
the book to have been writ.cr H..
Lawrence Lowell or james Bryce.
for' indeed, what President Lowell
o'd Tor lucid exposition Of the rov-
eminent of England and what Iord
hryce did for 4 like setting forth If
inc affairs OF the American common
wealth DR.. Tyau has done for the
'h'nese Republic Indeed, in one rc-
SPec' ms work -deprecatinr thc
odium Of comparisons-ac s,,r-
pass theirs: to wit, in the attract;v.
element of novelty. The Chinese Re-
pooNc began Its career so short a time
oefore the beginning of the World War
ana ''s oolngs were so largely over
shadowcd, to the world at LARGE NV
the transcendent events Of that st,,,g-
gle that any tolerably searching and
complete account Of it was bound ;nso
iaceo' TO contain much that had not
been generally known. But nobody for
a moment would have expected so hc-
wllderlng revelation as that which
TINS volume affords. Years ago we used
to admire the marvellous progress mado
by Japan since her "opening" and to
wonder If it would he possible for
China to do lkewise-with a half-con-
cealed belief, of which the wish was
too often father, that it would not
That wonderment and belief and wish
must now be repudiatcd.
For China has done It. Let It he set
down deliberately and advisedly that
taking into account the almost i'm
measurable difference in circumstances
the awakening Of China has been y
more amazing phenomenon, a more
significant achievement, than the OPEN
ing of Japan. BY that difference !
mean, in part, that while Japan's open
lng-or awakening which followed
was regarded sympathctically by all
the world and was very actively and
efficiently aided by America and some
other countries. the awakening of
China has been regarded generally
with indifference, and in some quarters
Of supreme Importance with forcible
opposition, the best that can be said
being that the United States was less
callous and antpathetic than some
other powers. 1t has been "Sina contra
mundum"; and China is winning.
DR.. Tyau sets forth in lucid order
the progress which the republic has
made in education, in the status of
women, in railroads, mines and manu-
factures, in journalism, and in multi
tude of different ways. Above all, he
shows the progress which has been
made in the organization of public
opinion and the development of a ma
tional spirit, the absence of which was
formerly the greatest weakness of the
Chinese Empire. 1t is showing of
achievement of the most valuable and
enduring kind such as, I verify be-
lieve, no other nation in the world can
rival. 1t would be impertnent folly
in the space of this article to attempt
to give even the briefest conspectus of
the astounding record. But l must cite
one little item from the voluminous ap-
pendices with their wealth of official
! e.
what I have said about the attitude Of
the world toward China in her awaken
ing. 1t is notorious that one of the
chief needs Of China is larger
revenue, to provide for education, pub
lie works, and what not, and that the
only way in which she could obtain it
would be that by which all other coun-
tries get it, through a customs tariff.
But the powers will not let her levy
tariff in accordance with her own needs
and interest. They have long been by
force compelling her to be content
with fixed rate, exactly uniform on
practically all imports without dis
elimination, and SO low as to be almost
negligible in the production of revenue.
Note, for example, the tariff on some
luxuries. On cigars the American
tariff under the law Of 1918 was $3.50 q
pound and 25 per cent ad valorem; in
Great Britain it was $2.12; in France
it was $3.50 pound, and in China, by
the compulsion Of the powers, it was 5
per cent. On brandy and other spirits
our tariff was $3.50 gallon, and Great !
was $3.50; while Chinas, by
the grace of the powers, was cents.
So on, through all the schedules. On
the other hand, while she was not per-
mitted to levy an adequate tariff on !
articles, China was compelled |
to levy one On innumerable things
which, for her own good, should have
been admitted free.