Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-15
Peking-A Ghost of Glory

the Mongols every opportunity to in
crease their trading profits, military
disturbances have made 1t more and
more difficult for the Mongols to trade
in the Chinese frontier cities at all.
Thus 1t today Is possible to buy Mongol
furs and wool in Vladivostok cheaper
than in licking or Tientsin, although
the distance to the former port from
the Mongol trading points is almost
twice that to the latter. Where the
Chinese militarists have added heavy
taxes, endangered safety and made OF
the Peking -Suiyuan Railway a me
dunn Of enormous revenue, the Soviet
| agents on the other hand have lowered
| freight rates almost to cost basis, have
+, given the caravans protection and es-
cort and made them special concessions
| In prices
The result is that today few caravans
come into the Sino- Mongolian frontier
cities, because when they do so toften
having to fight of bandits on the way
| they usually have to sell their goods at
loss. For although anxious to do
business. the Chinese buyers cannot
| pay fair figures, because they have to
calculate the taxes and the railway
freight. which together often amount
to so per cent, and with that in mind
purchase in such a manner as to assure
| -
the goods have been delivered in
Picking,
In Suiyuan, where the writer recently
visited, only half q dozen Chinese fur
| buyers remain. This Sino-Mongolian
city at one time was the richest trading
\ center in the northwest. At the height
OF the buying season as many as a
thousand Chinese and about Is foreign
ers engaged in trading there, and it was
said that no man was satisfied with
less than 200 per cent profit.
Single Foreign Buyer on Duty.
Today a single foreign buyer endures
the hardships of the rigorous northern
climate, and he only because he likes
II. There Is no business. He told me
that he had not been able to buy a
single pelt for more than six months!
Thus this rich Mongol trafic, which
used to pour into Peking, the city Of
tabled riches" has ceased and the ex-
tant source Of commerce.
| Generally impoverished conditions all
through the northwest provinces are the
tnlrd explanation of Peking's present
laSsitude. Drought, famine, bandits.
civil war, Administrations these
nave afhicted seriously the great terri
tory with which Picking once conducted
such an opulent business. Not till the
rehabilitation of these districts has
taken place can Picking hope for the
return OF measure of her old prosper
ity. Even when and If conditions in
Shansi, Chihli, Shantune and Shen-
81 return to normal, the Picking that
Is no longer capital will have to fight
with spirit to get her share of the
commerce. Other interior cities. such
AS Tsinan, Chengchow and Hsichiach-
wang are more conveniently located as
distribution centers, and the North
China coastal ports are, of course, more
Ideally situated as outlets and inlets for
foreign trade.
A trip down Jade street, Lantern
street, Embroidery street, or any of the
lanes so enchanting and busting Il
other days, is now depressing expert
ence. One dare not greet the lusterless
merchants with the customary "San-yi,
hAu.bu-hau?" business good, not
goodO for 1t is all too obvious that
only when a tourist party come in that
the streets regain some Of their old
activity.
Scores Of Shops Closed.
Scores of Chinese storekeepers have
closed shop and moved southwark or
into the fiourishing new cities Of Man
churia. It is said the business popula-
ton Of Peking has decreased IS per
cent since the capital was established at
Marking. Many foreign firms have dis
continued their Peiping branches and a
number OF small enterprises have gone
bankrupt.
While Chairman Chang was in Picking
several hundred Chinese merchants
staged an indignation parade" and at
tempted to present him a petition for
the return of the capital. Chang did
not see them, but through his spokes-
man he indicated that 1t was useless to
agitate for such q change. It was en-
phasized that the National government
exhaustively had discussed the matter
and clearly had expressed It's opinions
Its reasons for wishing to make O clean
severance from the corrupt past that
shrouded Peking"-and that nothing
had occurred which made their decision
open to reconsideration.
Thus 1t hardly seems possible that
the capital will 60 back to Peking with
in the near future. Now that the Sun
YAt-sen Memorial has been completed
at Marking the present government has
stronger motive than ever for keeping
its headquarters there. Probably 1t
would take nothing less than another
nationwide, revolution to restore the
capital to the north. So 1t seems that
Peking, the glan1ourous, the beloved of
foreigners as well as Chinese, Ii doomed
to the same slow, devouring avidities OF
age and neglect that have overtAken
other great warld centers In the his
tory Of East AID West.