CHINESE IN DOMINION.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 16186, 24 July 1923, Page 4

CHINESE IN DOMINION.

WHY T)0 THEY COME HERE? VIEWS ON THE YELLOW' PERIL. Tho impressions of a Chinese professor on Iris visit to New Zealand were given by Professor Pau Sien Chung, M.Sc., to an Auckland Herald representative prior to his departure by the Niagara. “What a pity,” said Professor Pan Sien Cluing, “that the soils of that vast, rich land of the East had come here only to be hated, outcast, and prejudiced against! I trust, however, that such prejudice springs purely from economical questions. I have noticed how exceptionally well I have been treated by all classes wherever I travelled in this country. I often wonder how the Chinese could live hero under existing conditions. What has seemed so attractive to them pimles mo. I don’t believe that anything could attract them except your splendid government, I may bo under a wrong impression travelling hero just

when your vegetable kingdom is in a dormant state. All I have seen along tho railroads was mountains and rolling lands, which are, at best, good for grazing and forage crops. It reminded me of my seven months' sojourn in the Vosges Valleys, 15 miles from Switzerland, where dairying was also a principal industry. In China, however, there are hundreds of millions of acres of virgin land, perhaps ten times more fertile than what I have seen in the Vosges and here, but unfortunately, entirely forsaken. Instead of being' a land of promise, many of her sons were compelled to leave her to seek their fortunes; abroad, simply on account of unsettled conditions. " UNREST IN CHINA. / What couldn't a. Chinese do at home with tho £IOO that he had to pay on his landing in New Zealand, and the £SO in addition l for his travelling expenses from China,, if only his own Government could givo him the protection. Your fear of this country being flooded by Chinese will inevitably cease as soon as a good Chinese Government is formed. We believe 'it will be, and all wo want for that is .time. No complete transformation will take place without going through every necessary stage of vicissitude.

Several times the question of the ‘‘Yellow Peril” ha s been brought to my notice. I have always considered it as a luxurious air castle of the white people. Having less people in your whole nation than one of our largo cities you naturally think that it cannot be. possible for a nation to have such a teeming population as four hundred millions. Don’t you realise, too, that there aro 4,200,000 square miles of' land in China, thus making tho population of China less than 100 per square mile. Not a single country in Europe is not three or four, or even six times as crowded ns China, .considering its population per square mile. Once there is protection, transportation, and modern methods of farming, China is more than able to accommodate all her .people. Like tho French, the Chineso like to stay in their own country. Plenty of land is available. At present only a small portion of the land in China is under cultivation—ls per cent, of the total area, according to the Ministry of Agricultura—which is far too low for maintaining her population. NO AGGRESSIVE AMBITION. \ Tho Chinese are a peace-loving people, rather building a wall than fighting to keep their enemies from invasion. Wherever Chinese are found it is admitted that they are law-abiding and honest. They mind only their own business, and are without the slightest degree of aggressive ambition. Upwards of 3000 Chinese in Tahiti have been successfully ruled by the French, who number 200, including men, women, and children. Do not misinterpret my point, however, and think that the Chinese are not capable of ruling. In fact, the Chinese have been successful rulers like the

Romans.in tho past. What I try to point but is that they are not a dangerous people in any sense. Discussing inter-marriage between Chinese and European, Professor Pau Sien Chung said tho question had been recently brough up by a certain bishop with whom he agreed. "LoVe knows no geographical boundary. Marrying with a person of your own nationality gives no guaranteo of happiness. I have seen in Europe many cases of unhappy marriages within the circlo of my own acquaintance. Hundreds of thousands of divorce cases happen in tho United States each year. More serious consideration should be given to a marriage between a Chinese and European, of course. because the society is more keen about such wedlock. Unhappy cases aro more conspicuous than happy ones, and they easily catch tho attention of the public. Think seven times seven before such marriage is made is my advice."