Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-10-19

straight TO Siberia i should make a
flight almost as great.
The country, roughly speaking. is
an irregular squae, each side of which
wiched in between Siberia and the
Indo-Chinese Peninsula and Hindu
stan. 1t has the Pacific Ocean on the
east and the high desert wilds of Rus
sian Asia on it's western frontier.
China contains by far the best part
of Asia, the tenderloin of the CONT
nent. having about the same qualities
of climate and soil that We have In
North America, on the opposite side
Of the globe. I believe it has more
good land than we have, and it GER
tainly has far more to choose from.
The greater China is bigger by IL
States the size Of New York than the
United States, Alaska and all our
dependencies. 1t contains one-fourth
of the land of all Asia. 1t has about
100000 square miles. such a large
part of the globe that If all the land
upon earth were divided up into IA
acre fields and apportioned among
their international owners according
to the amounts they hold now China
would have an acre in every one OF
those fields. 1t is an enormous tract
to be shut of from the rest of man
kind, to be given up to pillage and
banditry and to remain dormant
when the whole world wants a part
in developing its resources and trade.
x X y j,
A Nd then the people OF China!
~ Here the figures are still more
astounding. The Chinese number over
half Of the whole population of Asia
They are l00,000,000 more than all
the peoples of North America. South
America, Australia and Africa put
together. They are almost equal in
number to all the peoples Of Europe,
with the Russians included. They
are one-fourth of all upon earth.
Stop a moment and think what
that means: This is the age Of small
families. If all the human beings
who are living today could be shaken
together and put badk in families
Of four. with a. proportionate divi-
sion of races and nations. every
family on earth would have Chinese
as one Of it's members. The popula-
ton of the globe is estimated at
l.74S.000,00o, and by the figures OF
the Chinese post ONCE officials pub
lished this year China proper alone
has 446,000,000. The dependencies of
Mongolia, Tibet and Chinese Tur-
kestan are not included in this, and
they have from 100000 to 100000
more.
Some Of US worry about the eco
nomic and health conditions in a few
Of the we'll developed countries Of
Europe. The state of business there
bothers our bankers and the lack or
food so affects our charitable people
that 1t brings tears to their eyes and
they pour out their money as though
it burned in their pockets. How about
out good Samaritan nation and this
fourth Of all Asia which has fallen
into the hands of millions of thieves?
How about our new business when
this vast area is humming with facto-
ries, when the yellow giant has null
tiplied his power many times by the
best modern machinery and when his
great business ability is competing
with ours for the trade of mankind?
These questions are stirring, to say
the least
But why be alarmed? These people
are only Chinese!
Yes! But who are the Chinese?
Here again I feel I know nothing.
I have been studying them ever since
I first came out here to write OF the
old Empress Dowager and inter-
viewed Lii Hung Chang as to the new
movements then just beginning. That
was in 1888, on my first trip around
tho world. Since then / have come
to China from time to time. have
travelled here and there over the
country and have met many able
Chinese. / have also read much of
the people and their wonderful his
tory. They still grow upon me and
they stand well the test OF further
acquaintance.
And how long they have been
Rpaaap 10 lRs World. EhsAscieRusts