CHINA FOR THE CHINESE.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLII, Issue 5, 7 January 1908, Page 2

CHINA FOR THE CHINESE.

The annual dinner of the China Association on Tuesday was enlivened by a brilliant speech from Dr. Morrison, in which he rigorously deprecated scepticism as to the sincerity of the progressive movement in China, and effectively illustrated the dangers of allowing ourprejudioes to lead us into injustice. We were too apt to beliye stories of alleged barbarities, and too readily , forgot the gruesome notions'published m ,1900 about the5 fate of those who were besieged in Peking, when he " had/ • the honour of being pictorUlly represented as being boiled in oil in the same cauldron with his Excellency the Russian Minister." He could not1 to*> severely reprobate the point of view which regarded England for the English, Australia for the Australians, and Canada for the Canadians as loyal, laudable, patriotic aspirations, but denounced China for the Chinese as the manifestation of an anti-foreign and reactionary spirit. There was much to blame in China, but far more to praise-—the awakening of a consciousness of nationality,; the spread of Western education, attempts to reorganise the> Army, and the growth of the native Press, which displayed an admirable outspokenness aha courage, and unanimously supported the Government in its efforts to deal with the opium, evil. In; conclusion, '.Dr. Morrison ; ; strongly- disputed the political, wisdom of keeping the sore rankling in North China by the^ retention of English and Indian regiments on Chinese soil " as a perpetual reminder of the sin which China had committed seven years ago, but which she claimed she had made a sincere effort to expiate." America had certainly lost nothing in prestige by withdrawing her troops from Tientsin. Sporadic disturbances might occur in China, but nothing could now stay the progress of the people.