LEADIXG ARTICLES. 



281 



IN THE FAR EAST. 



THE DRUG IN THE MARKET. 



The fact that opium to the value of 

 i^ 1 2,000,000 is denied access to the 

 Chinese market gives rise to some mixed 

 reflections. Great Britain is the cham- 

 pion of Christianity in the Far East 

 and is the natural protector of those 

 trading under her flag, and it occasion- 

 ally happens to be nn possible to main- 

 tain two roles. The editor of the Re- 

 publican Advocate (Shanghai) has a 

 few straight things to say: — 



" Much though one may sympathise 

 with cae financial loss which the present 

 stringent regulations against opium in 

 the provinces must involve, there is a 

 vital moral principle, far outweighing 

 every financial consideration which the 

 British Government has to face in the 

 present solution of the problem. It 

 is a question which not only involves 

 the sacred rights of humanity, but, also, 

 of whether the Government is prepared 

 to face the responsibility of millions of 

 Chinese whose welfare for bad or for 

 worse depends upon the issue of the 

 present contention. China is physically 

 helpless, and a war with Great Britain 

 to support her cause, however just, is 

 entirely cut of the question. But it will 

 be a case of the stronger bullying the 

 weaker ; a superior, but unrighteous 

 force, strangling the righteous aspira- 

 tions of a weak nation. 



" China, we say, will have to give in 

 — physically ; but the righteous indig- 

 nation of the people wnll militate 

 against such a procedure ; and Great 

 Britain may perhaps forfeit for ever 

 the friendship and economic advantages 

 which she would otherwise have enjoyed 

 from the millions of Chinese by show- 

 ing her real sympathy and interest in 

 this — the hour of our national trials. 

 By supporting the opium cause Great 

 Britain may help to recover for her 

 opium speculators the i^ 1 2,000,000, but 



she will have to be ready to sacrifice 

 her more permanent economic interests 

 in China, which will far out-balance 

 the temporary loss in her opium trade, 



CHINA AS PETITIONER. 



Fifty years hence it will be beyond 

 belief that the great Chinese nation was 

 concerned to make humble petition for 

 recognition from European Powers. In 

 the Atlantic Monthly Ching Chun 

 Wang submits a plea on behalf of the 

 Chinese Republic : — 



The Chinese millions have given the world 

 the greatest revolution of modern times in 

 the most civilised manner known to history. 

 We have emancipated ourselves from the 

 imperial yoke, not by brute force, but by 

 sheer reasoning and unparalleled toleration. 

 Within the amazingly short period of four 

 months, and without shedding over one-hun- 

 dredth part of the blood that has been shed 

 in other similar revolutions, we have trans- 

 formed our immense counti-y from an empire 

 of four thousand years' standing into a 

 modern democracy. After having set this 

 new standard of sanity in revolutions, we 

 have organised ourselves into the newest Re- 

 public, following up-to-date patterns. Now 

 we come forward with hands and hearts open 

 to join the sisterhood of nations, and all we 

 ask is that the world Avill permit us to join 

 its company. We are born into the world as 

 a nation, and we wish to be registered as 

 part of the world. We ask for recognition of 

 our Republic because it is an accomplished 

 fact. 



It is quite possible that Chinese inter- 

 ests suffers to-day from this the latest 

 exercise of diplomatic fooling, but it is 

 unthinkable that the life of a nation can 

 be permanently affected by the uncer- 

 tainties created by the necessities of 

 change. If our diplomatists cannot 

 help China in her present troubles the 

 time may come when the hindrances 

 and handicaps will be returned a hun- 

 dredfold, as may be inferred from the 

 oblique hint of the writer: — 



We hope that the nations are not so pre- 

 judiced as to think that our Revolution is 

 even worse than the Tai-ping Rebellion, and 

 we also hope that the regrettable shortsight- 

 edness of the diplomats may not ohtain in 

 our case, so that posterity may not have to 

 lament our loss of the present opportunity, 

 as we lament the lost opportunity of our fore- 

 fathers of sixty years ago. 



