FUTURE OF CHINA

Evening Star, Issue 19638, 18 August 1927, Page 13

FUTURE OF CHINA

Dupes and Empty Slogans Trade Essential [The Diary of a Journey from London to Australia via Russia and China, by J. G. P.vrox.—Copyright.] No. SI. Admitting tho probability of the Nationalists, cither the moderate or extreme element, driving their way to Peking, there must follow the question of how Nationalism will fare as the first people’s body io rule practically the whole of China. Which question naturally loads to a definition of NationaliMir-and that as far as Clmiu Is concerned is practically an jinpostsibilily.

NationalUm commenced with the ideals of Sun Yal-sen, China's greatest and truest idealist, perhaps China's most innocent dupe. It is the ideals of the funner President, his Three People's Principles, his slogans and his last wishes, that caused the Nationalist armies to start out from Canton, and before the eyes » ■ an amazed China spring from their mushroom growth until they had achieved victories rjmt would have been laughed at a few weeks before they occurred. That was the old Nationalism, the creed that really inspired the Southern soldiers to do the impossible, but since those first stern days much has happened. Russia, playing the old Imperial game of the Tsar's under a Communistic cloak, saw that Nationalism was a good peg on which to stick Moscow's ambitions, and to-day it is difficult to say where Communism finishes and Chinese Nationalism begins. Borodin and his colleagues have been the driving force behind f.'hiang Kaishek’s armies. There have been few battles and many victories. Swords have Hashed at safe distances, bullets have sped harmlessly between allegedly hostile armies, hut propaganda has been right ahead of front rank and eaten into the morale of the opposing armies. Chiang Kai-shek made use of Borodin's methods bora usd they helped him Ho would no doubt bo making use of them to-day except for the fact that Borodin tried to depose him. and Chiang turned like a cornered man and vended his betrayers. But wore Borodin and his friends beheaded Communism would Mill he propagated in China. Yet it will probably never entirely grip the country, because Socialism in any form is opposed to the Chinese character. 1C veil tho humblest is an individualist. DOLLARS AND BULLETS. There is no other known country where soldiers are so plentiful, where victories arc so common, and troon luovemcnl.s so much part of the ordinary routine of travel, yet where tattles are so scarce. It is merely repeating flic obvious to say that China, fights nut with men but with money, and that silver dollars arc more powerful than bullets. But if this or that general wishes to enrich his pocket by betraying his superior, he is useless to I seducer unless the rank and tile—dumb, ignorant coolies though they may be—are willing and anxious to fight for the new master. That i.s where propaganda is doing its part. No portion of China is free from it. Your houseboy who brings you breakfast—or aspirin—in the morning beams on. you graciously, thanks you to he allowed to work for you for ridiculously small wages, and yet all the time ho is probably an ardent reader and believer in tho pamphlets that are distributed throughout settlement and native city alike, and which call on him to live for the day when the hated 1 foreigner will have been run into the

sea mid China will ho ruled or misruled by Chinese for the advantage or disadvantage of him and his hind. Like Communism in Russia, Nationalism promises mueli, and never spoils a good slogan by giving it too much meaning. Its Chinese dupes know little of the cause. They shout such empty cries and imprecations as “ ’'own with Imperialism ” and “ Liberty, equality, and fraternity,” and go homo and cat them rk ' and never oven attempt to analyse the meaning of their slogans nor what would really happen to China ii China got what China thinks it wants. In that the Chinese are like the Russians. " Normally they arc an obliging generous people, good natured, :ad possessing quite a sense of humor. Like most races that have got out ot touch with civilisation, however, they are easily gulled, and once worked, into a belief of wrongs against themselves become wildly fanatical. HOLLOW PROMISES. For instance, it was difficult to imagine that, the kind-looking, ignorant, but smiling peasants who met our train on Siberian wayside stations could have vushed in yelling hordes over the butchered bodies of their old masters. And difficult it is to imagine the (uniting, humorous-faced Cantonese ‘’buys” in Shanghai lounges, Australian steamer dining rooms, or between the shafts of your rickshas in Canton, as the same breed of mongrels who assaulted our own white women in Nanking.

Such is the Russian peasant; .such is tin; Chinese coolie.

Nationalism promises them Unit (he bated foreigners will be thrown out of China, and does not tell I hem what will happen to China, where, tho wages will eomo from, uho will give them their profits, when the baled but unfortunately wealthy and industrious foreigner has disappeared. Hankow is an example.

Britain gave hack her concession. The eoolios and laborers of all descriptions commenced to put. tho promised Utopia into practice. Law ami order—that importation of tho Britishers—disappeared, wages soared on paper, even though there wax nobody left to pay thorn.

And to-day (he starving coolies-, who get ten times; as much for pulling rickshas, hut, unfortunately, because of that, arc devoid of ciidom ; the laborers whose pay lias been increased beyond recognition, but who unfortunately cannot find anyone to employ them—all are crying out for the return of the Britisher and his trade. Even a Chinese coolie lias learned that it is hotter to receive ton cents and live than to demand a dollar and starve.

That is the question that Nationalism will have to face if over it rules China. How is the economic condition of a people who are perpetually on the verge of starvation going lo be maintained if the chief source of their Tvclihoodnamely, foreign trade—is antagonised?