Evening star., 1925-07-19

F." HE present situation in China
undoubtedly menaces the
peace of Asia and. inferen-
Il tally. the peace Of the world.
The danger Of the situation is
to be attributed chiefly to the almost
complete ignorance Of China in which
the outer world Is plunged.
1t is a most unfortunate, and to-
day most perilous circumstance that
the worlds information about China
has always been dependent for its cir
culation upon the news value OF some
current event, or upon the sensational
appeal Of some isolated occurrence.
The unpleasant fact Is that this dis
continuous stream of disconnected
and unexplained news items has be-
trayed the Western World into the
foolish habits of attaching to events
in China the precise significance they
would bear had they occurred in Eu-
rope or in the United States.
What very few people ever ask
themselves is what do these Chinese
events mean in China?"
just Single Incident.
Nothing has ever happened In
Chinese history Of which It is more i'm.
portant to ask this question than 1t is
of the happenings which have taken
place since the establishment of the
Chinese Republic in 1912. and OF which
the Shanghai situation Is but a single
incident.
The picture, In its broadest outlines,
includes the overthrow Of an ancient
dynasty. the setting up Of a republic
In the North and Of rival republic
in the South, the disappearance OF
every trace of national government
the seizure Of authority by the mill.
tary leaders in the various provinces
and the substitution Of armed force
and personal intrigue for all other
sanctions in public affairs.
To any American, to any Western
European, familiar with his own ma
tional history, but ignorant of that of
China, the canvas l have painted can
only present itself as the precursor OF
one on which would be depicted a
country reduced to the condition OF
Europe at the end Of the Thirty Years
War, of people utterly ruined and
debauched by the employment against
it Of every resource at the disposal OF
a cruel, ncentious and 'unrestrained
soldiery.
The second picture has. however
no remotest relation to what the first
illciHS W Sflltld HC ACdSoi AOA bAAAS
Is simple in the extreme.
In Western Europe and In the
United States we have become accus
toned to a general interest and par
ticipation In public affairs, and to a
general acceptance Of the enormous
influence which the State exercises
over every detail Of the daily life OF
the citizen.
The Chinese, in these respects. are
our exact opposites. With the pos
sible exception Of the SCOTS. the
Chinese are the most extreme living
example of familism. In addition te
this they ceased a thousand years age
to expect anything from government
except office as an advantage and op
preston as a disadvantage-the lat
ter utterly outweighing the former. on
account of the disparity in numbers
between those to whom the one and
the other can be matter Of interest
What the Chinaman is concerned
with are his parents. his wife, his
children, his home. his crops or his
business; and this interest is fortified
by profoundly philosophical attitude
toward the whole content Of life-ar
attitude which characterizes every
rank Of society from the highest to
the lowest to a degree which cannot
but amaze any Western observer who