CHINA'S TROUBLES.

Franklin Times, Volume 14, Issue 259, 31 July 1925, Page 2

CHINA'S TROUBLES.

THE CAUSE. BOLSHEVIK INFLUENCE. .1 euloiisy "11 It:" pari or Germany amt Russia. over tin 1 exf ra-lerriloriai T-iii.li ts still heid in China by Groat Britain. Prune". Italy ami Japan, ami Bolshevik propaganda were tin- reashiis given for lilt' (roubles that have oe r u rred in China, by Rev. 11. S. Conwav, of ih" China Inland .Mission, who is visiting Ghristrhureh on work in "nniicrlion with I. 1 '" mission. Mr Conway said Ilia! Ihe Chinese weir law-abiding peopie. and wore tineasiest folk in tin- world It- govern. I, lately they had been aroused liy Bolshevik propaganda. When they realised Hud it was only propaganda 11, ~ v would prohaldy >wiri? to Ihe ~lper extreme, Personally. In- did not ll,ink there would he amdlier Boxer risinw in China. Tin; imiemnily <> t' i;->(jU,UUO,dnn at Hud time luoi lan ir ! 1 1 Ij~e Chinese that killing foreigners was *,,, expensive luxury. Tie re might he sporatlie viohmee and ant.i-foreign .«ul],,,rs(s here and line", hid lie fell that in the main Ihe missionaries were sale in |he interim'. Tin*. Chinese imrlainly had no love for Ih" foreigners, hid at. least they appreeialed Hie work that Hie missionaries had < !**n<■ for them.

Anti-Foreign Feeling.

li<‘for ring t « » fin* aga in si 11m* forengners in China. Mr C-.nway said llial China demanded lln* abolition nf all unequal treaties. That, ul' course, meant lln* restoration of all ports held l,v foreigners In China. bub it was unthinkable Ilial Great Britain. r«»r insiance, was going to hand Hong Kong nr Shanghai back to 1 ho. . Chinese. 1 \Vhon Britain took Shanghai over it. was just a lit lln village. Now it was a great 'city. It would hit China as hard as the foreigners if these ports were handed hack to the Chinese. THere was no doubt that .the foreigners had greatly enriched and improved China by seizing tier territory, and. although industrial problems had been created, yet this was only what was taking place in other lands. lln* industrial troubles were largely stirred up by the Bolsheviks, but it was absurd’to talk of bringing In bear Iwentielli century laws amt regulations on China, which had only .just started on real industrial life. Improvements must be elTecfed by degrees. lie. did not mean to say that tin* goal aimed el was md a good < ne. Doubtless Hi,..re was child labour in China, but it was belter to have a child fed by a little work Ilian lefl lo starve, and, as far as lit* could see. these children were liappv and well fed. I here was n„ doubt that the foreigners had brought employment lo many hundreds uf thousands of Chinese. He noticed in llm cables the oilier da' Ibal. when some coolies were clamouring tor strike pay and were told Iha t there was no money, they rushed to Hie foreign settlement and told the police Hud they wanted work. This showed Ilial they bad no anti-foreign animosity but simply wanted work. Personally, lie. thought that tilings were now quietening down in China, and that the Powers would recognise Ilial the trouble had been largely stirred up j>y Use Bolsheviks and would not lay to China's charge that, which should be justly blamed to Hussian propaganda. The Christian General. ]inferring to the Christian General, Kong, .Mr Conway said that, lie wished it to be made very clear that many of the; reports about liiiri were absolute canards. The fact that General Keng had ordered his soldiers to have nothing lo do with Bolshevik propaganda clearly showed I hat he. was not in league with Russia. General Feng was at present in Mongolia and his chief general, Chung, was the military governor of Charhar, one of Hie largest provinces in Mongolia. General Chung was often called General Feng's “Billy Sunday.” He was an ardent patriot as well as an earnest preacher, and doubtless, before long they would bear of many wonderful reforms brought 'about by these armies of Christian Chinese. There were at least 20,000 genuine Christians in General Feng’s army, and many of the. Mongolian people had been converted | , i Christianity by their testimony.

Tuaneli inti. 111« aeling-presidenl ol' China, had boon pul in powor by Central Pony, and, a.coot*dine: to the testimony of those who know Chinese affairs, In; would probably prove to bo, the political saviour of China. Tuancliirui was popular with the. Powers because he bad helped to bring China in oil I Tie side ot the Allies 'luting llie war. and. as lie had also fought against Chang Hsitn in his attempt to restore the monarchy, he was .also popular with the republicans. The Opium War. In many ways. Mr Conway added, Ihe missionaries sympathised with the Chinese. The war of .1857. when Croat Britain forced opium on to China, was a blot, on her escutcheon and lie often blushed to think thaMio was a Britisher when Chinese referred lo this, it was something that China would never forget. China herself now produced J 5.000 tons of opium per annum, and Ibis curse, introduced to the country by Great Britain, had a terrible sway over the people. In many ways Britain had helped China but the forcing of opium on lo the Chinese was a terrible blot.

Mr Conway has spent thirty ycais in China, mostly in the interior. He went through the Boxer rebellion aucl narrowly escaped with his life. He is connected with the china Inland Mission, the largest, missionary organisation in the world. decently he was appointed deputation secretary to New Zealand in place of Mr Robert Powell. Mr Con wav stated that Hr. E. Ho>te. !iit- diia-etn'r of the mission, would I>. visiting New Zealand shortly. Hr. lloste was the director of 1435 missionaries working in China, and m twony way? whs q voiv>9v'k.Rblft