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

Honsko and the opening UP Of
Tientsin.
In the meantime came the TAPPING
rebellion, which lasted for Il years
and resulted in the death of more
than 10000, 900 people, and on the ex-
cuse Of the confusion resulting more
ports were opened to the western
nations. France came in and inder-
mites were demanded. The admins
tration of the maritime customs was
given over to the British to insure
the payment Of the foreign obliga-
tons. and the British collect those
customs today.
All this time the Chinese were con-
tinually being forced to open more
ports, to concede special rights to the
missionaries and to give valuable
trade privileges against their will.
In 1885 France fought with the Chi
nese and as result grabbed Tonking.
The Chinese-Japanes war came on
later and the island of Formosa went
TO Japan. She also took a part of
Manchuria, and made China pay her
besides an indemnity of more than
200, 100000 taels. Later Korea, which
was a dependency of China, dropped
into the hands of the Japanese, and
the Germans took over Tsingtau, and
with it demanded the great hinter-
land of Shantung. Landgrabbing in
China has gone on more or less for
S0-odd years.
The British caused constant irrita-
ton by forcing opium upon the Chi
nese in order to support the poppy
farmers of India, which angered the
people even more. BY means OF
treaties eXtorted from China at the
point of a pistol. years before our
Mexican War, and kept in force al
most until now. China was prevented
from levyinG an import or export
duty Of more than per cent ad valo-
rem. while the nations which traded
with her could charge what they
pleased. Our duties on Chinese silk.
for instance. are now so per cent, but
the Chinese must let in our cotton
goods with only a charge of about ,
per cent. y slight change in this
was made at the Washington confer
ence, but the new duties fixed were
small.
In addition to this there has been
a constant striving on the part OF
other powers, especially Japan. to
demand concessions from China, with
the threat of Furnishing her il she did
not acquiesce. The effect of such
treatment of China has been cumu-
lative and it Is gradually building up
spirit which will some time per-
meate every family and every indi-
vidual and make the Chinese a Solidi-
led, patriotic nation. This is already
shown in the boycotts which the
Chinese merchants all over the en-
pire now and then institute against
the goods of a foreign power on ac-
count of some national insult or
trade grievance. The Chambers of
Commerce of the 81 provinces receive
instructions and suggestions from the
big ports OF the East, and the trade in
the boycotted goods straightway
stops. This treatment has been APP
piled to Japan and to the United
States.
AT the time it was proposed to
make Canton a free port. and our
gunboats Joined the other powers
in threat to prevent il. there was
talk of a universal boycott upon
American imports. China has in such
action a most effective weapon. You
can't fight a nation because it will
not buy your goods, and the Chinese
are masters in this sort OF passive
resistance
Along with all this oppression has
come the new movement in China. be-
ginning with the introduction of rail
ways, the establishment of a postal
and telegraph system which covers the
empire. and the construction of all
kinds of factories with the most
improved modern machinery.
And then on the top of these
changes, the empire has been over
thrown and republican governments
instituted. both in the north and In
the south.
Cvys.ight. 1924. Carpenters World Tsaysls.