47 



doubt the historical answer will be, both the soldier and science. 

 It is clear that two quite diverse phases of western civilization 

 are struggling for dominance in the readjustment now in pro- 

 gress, that of aggression and appropriation by force, and that 

 of benevolence and broad humanity. 



It may be idle to preach the relative virtues of these, but 

 the western world may well sit down and compute the res- 

 pective costs to itself. China has some four hundred million 

 inhabitants. I was skeptical about these large numbers when 

 I went to China and cannot now say I am wholly convinced 

 pf their accuracy, but taxes are said to be apportioned to the 

 provinces and other districts subject to levy on the basis of 

 the numbier of inhabitants recorded. The local temptation is, 

 therefore, toward scant registration rather than an exaggera- 

 tion of the census, so much so that penalties are imposed to 

 correct this. It is hence cogently urged that the census re- 

 turns give less rather than more than the real number of the peo- 

 ple. At any rate, they are a very numerous people, a people 

 oif declared character and of persistent traits. It is there- 

 fore a matter of no small moment to foresee what new traits 

 they will take on as they readjust themselves to the new situa- 

 tion. This is none the less important to the rest of the world 

 because the essence of the new adaptation is adjustment to the 

 rest of the world. It is the outside world that has broken down 

 the barriers of isolation and forced the issue. The outside world 

 must, therefore, stand by the consequences of its ow^n forceful 

 intrusions, and it does well to consider what those consequen- 

 ces will be — to weigh well its own part, in shaping them, at least 

 from this time on. 



The Chinese of the south, acclimated for some thousands of 

 years to sub-tropical conditions, have physical and mental 

 characteristics which I cannot better express in a word — tho 

 inadequate — than to call them feminate — I do not say effemi- 

 nate — men of small bones, small hands, small physique general- 

 ly, with a touch of the feminine cast ; bright, active and en- 

 during, with some predisposition to restiveness and migration, 

 but on the whole non-aggressive as compared with Europeans. 



