The Bay of Plenty Times FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16. 1942 CHINA REACHES NATIONHOOD

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 13773, 16 October 1942, Page 4

The Bay of Plenty Times FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16. 1942 CHINA REACHES NATIONHOOD

Britain aml the United States havin" reliquished their extra territorial rights in China, have thereby openly acknoAAledgec T tat China has won her right to a place with the nations ot t le eait n The China at the beginning of the century was a aery di teient China to that of to-dav. China was under an Emperor an to a, as nominally the head of‘the State, but the real governors were tlie Mandarins who ruled the provinces. They Avere a rapacious, int i less gang, who shamelessly robbed the people. It was a very much divided people, untrustworthy, because they Avere depressed, was the kind of Government that could not endure ca eu in L tina. Thousands of Chinese Avandered from their homeland and set ec in various parts of the world. Naturally an industrious peop e, these emigrants worked hard and saved hard, and mam amassed small fortunes. The freedom they enjoyed in other lands created an impression, and as the richer Chinese returned to then uatn e land they Avere able to tell their compatriots of the freedom or life in foreign lands. The Chinese haA'e a wonderful lore of counti a , and even Avill that after death their bones should be repatriated. There have been occasions Avhen shiploads of bones recovered from graA'eyards in various parts of South America, llaA\ aii, and even from New Zealand, have been taken to China for reburial. The first European nation to contact Avith the Chinese Ayas Britain, who soon had trading relations Avitli the Chinese. It is the British that they learned the principles of trade, and it Avas from the British they learned that in trade, honesty Avas the best policy. As a general rule the Chinese traders in our midst deal fairly by their customers and seem to specialise in fruit and A'egetables. They r are excellent market gardeners and supply no small amount of the A'egetables consumed in the cities. The Chinese have a higher code of business morality than haA'e the Japanese. During the last Avar the Japanese Avere our Allies, and a fair amount of Ncav Zealand trade went to Japan. The goods imported from that country A\ere trash, but the prices demanded were high. Placing them side byside a Chinees business man is much to be preferred to a Japanese. The great patriot of China Avas Sun Yet Sen, and it Avas mainly through his efforts that China rid herself of the Emperor and the Mandarins, and became a Republic. That Avas in 1911, and in the intervening years China has had many tragic experiences. She has always had a vicious neighbour in Japan, whose one idea has been to dominate China. Japan stripped China of Formosa, Korea and Manchuria, and she Avas powerless to prevent it. At last there arose a man Avith poAver and influence. Chiang Kai-Shek is a Christian gentleman and idealist as Avell as a patriot. When about six years ago Japan made some impertinent demands on China, it Avas Chiang Kai-Shek avlio peremptorily refused, and this ultimatelyled to the Avar which is still raging. Even Avhen the Avar began the Chinese Avere a dis-united nation, but now Ave see a solid nation standing shoulder to shoulder Avith the Generalissimo. There is no doubt that Chiang has Avorked Avonders in China and he has been ably assisted by his spouse, Avho is also a Christian and speaks English. And hoav Chiang sees his country honoured by the tAVO great democracies, and this gesture Avill haA-e its repercussions in China. Reforms in the methods of GoA r ernment are sure to be introduced. Education Avill be more Avidespread and the resources of China will be developed Avith the aid of European technique. China, Avith its population of over 400,000,000, should be a great factor in Av.orld trade. The Chinese are quick to learn and make good artisans. The nation that gave to the Avorld pottery, paper and poAvder, has not lost its genius. In the Far East it is not unlikely that China Avill be the dominating nation and not Japan. China has the manpoAver and the resources, but above all her cbde of morals is uneomparably higher than those of Japan. The rise of China Avill make a very great difference to the post-Avar trade and economies of the Avorld.