The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1943-04-24

China Likely to
Lead Asia After
Close of War
n. rL..t.. q CN.,.y.rK
BY Charles p. Stewart

CHINA Is NOT as modern as
some, but very few, Occidental
countries are, but its leadership
seems 10 be. from my observation
in the last few months, II that sig
nifies anything. II is important
too or the Chinese are due 10 be
the Oriental hub OF the postwar
world Japan will be eXtiuguished,
OF course. SO II looks as II the Chi
nese will have to take charge OF 1t.
It will be a generation or two be-
fore Japan is civilized, anyway. AS
I have said before. think the
rank-aud-fne OF the Japs are civil
ize-able. but ii will take a goodly
spell to transform them.
India II liberated, will require
education. So should the Chinese
but they are more amensble-not
SO primitive. Nor is II any compli-
meut to the British TO recognize
that it has kept the Indians s.
backward
The Filipinos are great chaps
but they probably are not a sufti-
GENTLY weighty influence TO pre-
dominate. Besides. they are West
ern rather than Eastern-their po-
litical and economic PHILOSOPHERS
are. an. way.
/ have encountered many OF their
representatives in Washington OF
late. and they are of first-class
liberal but not immoderately rad
ical type. Maybe our management
of Manila is entitled to some OF
the credit for IT, Regardless oil
that coDsidera ton. those islanders
are a considerably different breed
Of cats than the Japs or Chinese.
Siberian Russia is geographical
" Asiatic. 10 be sure, but II. is not
as assimilab,e into the west as
farther western Europe Is.
Australasia is as Occidental as
London or New York.
What is wanted Is a merger.
Chinas intellectuals are favorable
toward it. Possibly they want mod
ifications, but they are not unrea'
sonable
Nv first experience in China was
in the days OF DR.. sun Vat Sen
a good many years ago. The doc
was the originator OF his couhtry's
modernization. He was sure
thing liberal and economist and up
builder.
He caught the rest OF the world
by surprise.
1t look him quite awhile to get
away with IT," but he vas the Chi
nese Washington OF his time.
The human raw material he mad
available was about 99.9 per cent.
1t was low.grade human and he
humanized 1t.
| knew him personally. He had
on his hands, not a rebellion
against power but an internal rev.
olutiou, and he got away with 1t.
He did it, not by defeating an out
side enemy. but by convincing his
own people. Outsiders, including
Americans. did not appreciate
what he was accomplishing. He did
it, regardless Of them.
At the end OF his term, he had
not fully accomplished his task,
but he had created nationality.
When the present war started
It struck me that we were in on
It and ought to be represented.
The Japanese were prompt to IN
troduce themselves as National
Press Club members. My notion
was that the Chinese should be-
long. too. So | offered TO put in an
applcation-and it was o.k.'d.
Chinese Ambassador chen Ting
Wang Joined Immediately and
made a speech. His secretary, Y.
F. Lieu. followed.
The difficulty with Ambassador
Chen Ting was that he couldn't
maintain his dues. Neither could
Y. F."
Chen Ting now is with the Red
ross. I've cot his motto meaning
in Chinese, May you live 1000
years"
However. that is because l knew
DR.. Sun Vat Sen. II is comparable,
among the Chinese. to having been
personally acquainted with George
Washington, as such an associa-
ton would be regarded by Amer
leans.
Well. that diplomatic relation
ship las passed. It was not that
DR.. Chen Teng was not an excel
lent ambassador. but be is not
rich man and Chang Kai-shes's
present government has not been
financially able 70 stand the main,
tenance OF Washington headduar'
tiers exclusively out OF its OWE
treasury. Consequently a person
ally better-heeled staff OF repre-.
sentatives had 10 come in.
But its Oriental consequence
cannot be over.estimated as 10 the
postwar world.