The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-10-27
Cockpit of ASia-No. s.
POWERS STAND
READY TO RIP
CHINA TO BITS
Nations of World Are Like
Wolves, Ready to Pounce
on Weak Sister,
BY WILLIAM PHILIP sIMMs
Scripps- Howard Foreign Editor


Scripps-Howard Foreign Editor
Ancient, colossal, loosely jointed
China with her 100000 people,
is facing ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
Unless the worlds peace ma
chinery can be kept strong enough
to prevent aggression and give
China time to unity and modernizc,
eventually she will fall to pieces
and be partitioned among the great
powers.
Today the Chinese republic has
an area more than twice that of
the United States. This includes
Manchuria, Mongolia, Thibet, and
Eastern Turkestan, in addition to
the eighteen provinces of China
proper.
There was a time, however, when |
she dominated all Asia, from the |
Pacific to the Red sea. But for the |
last 400 years she has been Whitfield |
away. Britain has Alden, Ceylon,
Burmah, and Hongkong France has (
Cochin China, Indo China, Cam
bodia, Amman and Tonkin. Spain
nibbled off the Sulu archipelago,
which, in turn, was transferred to
the United States. Russia sWal- /
lowed up big chunks in the north /
to make Siberia. Japan annexed /
Korea and Formosa. And so on.
Further Mad Scramble
Around 1900 there was a further
mad scramble for concessions"
The great European powers saw the
old Manchu dynasty was about to
crack up, and when that happened /
they planned to grab the remaining
pieces. Russia, Germany, England,
France and Japan all were in on it.
Only America stayed out
John Hay was secretary of state
at that time, and but for his vig-
orous stand which led the other
nations to believe-correctly or in
correctly-that the United States
was prepared to go almost any
length to preserve the integrity of
China, the chances are that today
there would be little left of that
country.
The doctrine Of the open door"
China for the Chinese, but with
equal commercial opportunity for
all-was what he insisted upon and
made stick.
Danger Not Yet Past
Nevertheless, the danger of par
tition is not yet past. Russia still
has her eyes on Mongolia, Chinese
Turkestan and northern Man
churia. Britain has earmarked
Thibet and-if events so shape
themselves - the Valley Of the
Yangtze.
Japan vies with Russia for at
least a portion of Manchuria and
Eastern Mongolia and certainly
should there be another scramble
will insist upon a generous, if be-
lated, share. French interests
center in the south
Such are some of the prizes
weak, chaotic China offers-the last
big, rich territorial prizes left in
the world. 1t is, therefore, the
secret desire of some of the powers
that she never shall be strong.
In no other way can the fact
be accounted for that native faction
is pitted against native faction, |
arms sometimes being sold to both
sides by the same outside influence. 1
II is to Americas advantage, how
ever, that China shall go forward.
If the standard of living Of her 430,-
5000 people could be raised to
where they could buy so-called j
luxuries, it would prove a tremend-
GUS stimulus to trade.
Dream Not Yet Dead
Even on a Mexican basis, she
would buy from us alone more than
$3,O0O,OOO,OOO worth of goods year
or considerably more than our
present total exports to the entire
world. Her present annual pur-
chases from us foot up to less than
$160,000,000.
The dream of the late DR., Sun
Yat-sen, China'S George Washing
ton, was world cooperation to re-
habintate his country. He drew up
plan calling for the construction
of 100000 miles of railroads, 1,000,-
900 miles of paved highway. the i'm
portation of millions of flivverS for
transportation purposes, the crea-
ton of vast ports modern cities,
flood control, irrigation, reclamation
and forestation system and a mer-
chant marine of at least 100000
tons.
The present government is doing
its best to promote this dream and
has approached the labor section of
the League of Nations with a ten
year plan" for China which en-
braces the essentials. But it is
handicapped by chaos inside the
country and by threats of war
from without.
Today it may be stated truly that
China and the world are at the
crossroads. One road leads to her
advancement somewhat along the
lines charted by DR.. Sun, with all
the great powers legitimately par
ticipating in the profits. The other
leads to deepening chaos and the
ultimate disappearance from the
map of the worlds most ancient civ
ilization.
THE END
City Declared Liable
ID. Tfs,., 81, Nnrofrg