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The National Geographic Magazine 



this matter of reform is not so much 

 railways, not new learning, not European 

 luxuries, not European civilization — what 

 the people of China in their hearts want 

 is to bring about the reform of the for- 

 eigners in their way of dealing with the 

 Chinese. A sagacious Englishman in 

 Hankow once said to me, 'What fools 

 these people in Shanghai are. Why, if 

 the Chinese really succeed in their re- 

 forms, do you think we foreigners in 



China would have such a d good 



time as we are having now ?' In a word, 

 the Chinese people want the foreigners in 

 China to reform by knocking out of their 

 heads the idea that God has created the 

 three hundred odd million Chinese for the 

 British and other nations to trade upon, 

 to make a living out of them. The only 

 way to abate the fever and intensity of 

 feeling against foreigners is to begin the 

 reform in China at both ends, on the 

 foreign side as well as on the Chinese 

 side." 



IMPROVEMENT OF THE CITIES 



I cannot close this review of the pres- 

 ent condition of China without a refer- 

 ence to the improvements going on in 

 some of the principal cities. These are 

 very noticeable in Shanghai, in the new, 

 enlarged, and more attractive public 

 buildings and private residences, the ex- 

 tension and improvement of the streets, 

 and the increased facilities of locomotion 

 and suburban travel. Shanghai is, how- 

 ever, under foreign control, and the im- 

 provement, while an indication of grow- 

 ing wealth and commerce, is mainly the 

 development of western enterprise. Of 

 the native cities, Hankow has shown 

 much growth and improvement, but the 

 two cities giving greatest evidence of 

 progress and improvement are Peking 

 and Tientsin. 



Few things in civilized life are more 

 repulsive than the interior of a native 

 Chinese city, and this was especially the 

 case with Peking until the past few years. 

 Since the occupation of the allied army, 

 and especially in the last two years, a 



marvelous transformation has taken place 

 in the capital. The former broad 

 thoroughfares, undrained, unpaved, and 

 reeking with filth, have undergone a 

 wonderful change. In the center there 

 has been constructed a wide macad- 

 amized road, with a parking on each side 

 planted with trees, and next to the houses 

 a paved sidewalk is laid with curbing and 

 drain. A system of sewers has been 

 adopted, and the city presents the appear- 

 ance of having been thoroughly swept 

 and garnished. A uniform police force 

 adds to its city-like appearance. A tele- 

 phone and electric service has been estab- 

 lished, and tramways traverse the prin- 

 cipal streets. 



The transformation of Tientsin has 

 been even more effective and complete. 

 It received its first impulse under the 

 International Government which was es- 

 tablished during the foreign allied occu- 

 pation, and of which Hon. Charles 

 Denby, Jr., was the secretary and active 

 executive officer. The native municipal- 

 ity, one of the largest in the Empire, has 

 been so changed that an old resident 

 absent for a few years would hardly 

 recognize it. The old wall which sur- 

 rounded the land side has been entirely 

 removed and replaced with a wide boule- 

 vard, paved and planted with trees, and 

 which extends also along the water front, 

 with an electric tramway traversing its 

 whole extent, lined with attractive shops. 

 The former houses, all of one story, of 

 unburnt brick or of thatch and reeds 

 plastered, are giving place to others of 

 larger proportions and of substantial con- 

 struction in European style, many of two> 

 stories, and indicating a degree of com- 

 fort which could not have been dreamed 

 of a few years ago. The process of 

 widening the interior streets, tearing 

 down walls, and the construction of more 

 sanitary dwellings, besides improving the 

 general aspect of the city, has also 

 greatly improved its health. The light- 

 ing and police arrangements are of a 

 similar character, and it enjoys a blessing 

 possessed by few other of the native- 



( Continued on page 709) 



