CHINA AS AN ALLY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1781, 26 January 1918, Page 1

CHINA AS AN ALLY.

SEVERE BLOW TO GERMANY,

THE FAR EAST QUESTION,

, Speaking’ at the welcome accorded him at Dunedin recently, Dr. G. E. Morrison, political adviser to the Chinese Government, spoke of! the immense possibilities of China and her entry into the war. “What is to he the future of! a country like China, whose population is increasing at the rate of 5,000,000 per annum, should it happen that that country comes closer to Japan, which is near its eastern harrier?” he asked. A combination of the efficiency of Japan with the illimitable resources of China will make a very formidable cojnbination indeed. Japan, now our trusted ally, has a population of 53,000,000, highlytrained, highly-disciplined, men, whose labouring classes glory in their work. That population is increasing at the rate of 080,000 per annum, an increase larger than the total population of Queensland. Within only very recent years there has been added to the Japanese nation the Corean nation of 17,000,000 people, who, under the admirable adminislration given to them by Japan, is increasing at the rale of more than 000,000 per annum. These people have been an immense accession of strength to the Japanese, for they are physically superior to the Japanese. They arc capable of learning everything, and they have got the faculty of learning languages, which faculty has been denied, speaking generally, to Japanese.” Speaking of the Japanese military ‘spirit, Dr. Morrison said it had been built largely on the Prussian model. It was true that the sympathy of the Japanese military people had at the beginning of the war been rather with the German military successes and German actions in Europe than with the allies. No Japanese ollicer whom he had met had been trained in any but the Prussian school of miltarism, and if he spoke any language other than his own it was

German. In a certain Japanese: paper, a year after the war began, a campaign was being carried on a : gainst the British people that had caused the gravest anxiety among Britons in the Far East.

CHINA BECOMES A BELLIGERENT.

font inning, Dr Morrison said: “China now has come into this war. Bho (‘ainc in only on August IKli, 1917. She was prepared to come in in August, 1914, hut circumstances over which .she had no control prevented her. Again, in 1915, she was prepared to come in on the side of the allies, hut again circumstances were too powerful. Not until America broke off diplomatic relations with Germany did China feel herself strong enough |o accept the invitation extended to her hy America to join on helm If of neutral Stales in standing for, the rights of the neutral. Then, as you know, China and Siam both came into (his war, and nothing is more astonishing to me, coming down into this country, limn to hear highly educated men express (he view that the earning of China into the wai was a matter of indifference, that it did not make any difference whether she came in or whether she. stayed out. It seems to me that sueh a view shows an imperfect knowledge of the situation. Tty Chinn’s coming into (he war she dealt the mos) severe economic blow that could he dealt to Germany. Cor years Germany has looked to (lie (exploitation of China am! of Siam; for years German activity in these two countries has been extremely great. In no other countries in the world has German trade influence increased more rapidly than it has increased of recent years in China and Siam. When both these countries declared war on Germany the best German papers Considered it one of (lie most serious blows dealt to their country since the w.ar began. MAHOMMEDA N INFLUENCE. “This is what; has happened; China has a largo Mahommedan population, estimated at; 30,900,900 people, in Central Asia. The whole of the trade between China and India and between China and Persia and Mesopotamia has been carried on by the Maho.mmedans. It was believed by tlio.se who wished China to come into the war from the very beginning that the effect upon the Mahommedan peoples -would be to strengthen the allied cause, for it meant that the Power that was regarded in Asia as the great Mahommedan Power, bad (brown in its lot against Turkey. There epn he no question that if China had come into the war at the time she wished, we would not have hud many anxious months in fear of a Mahommedan uprising and unrest in India. Then by joining the allies, China was able to (Co&ti*icate the German share of the Boxer indemnity? amounting to ,$12,600,000, whiith was a large sum

for her. It meant also that she suspended payment of all duties due to German financial companies and corporations. The aggregate amount of (he two meant the payment by China, which is not at present a rich country, of £(!,()()() a day to (he Gormans, which sum was largely used by the Germans in (ho Far East for carrying on a campaign of sedition against Great Britain especially. TREATIES TERMINATED, “China has now terminated her treaties with Germany, Any treaty she has signed with any foreign nation lias contained ‘the most-fav-oured-nation’ clause. China now has recovered her treaty independence. It means that when after the war Germany makes new treaties with China on a footing that will put her at a disadvantage in competition with the allies. Then, after this war, China will have a voice at the Peace Conference. That also was a great .advantage- to China, and will be a great disadvantage to other Powers. Every German official in China has been dismissed. The blow to Germany in having her officials 'expelled from this country has been a very severe one indeed. It seems to me that Iho opinion that it was of no particular advantage for China to come into the war is one that cannot be borne out by tacts.” Referring to the possibilities of trade between Australia and New Zealand and Siam, and the thicklypopulated countries of south-east-ern Asia, Dr. Morrison said it seemed to him that these countries offered heaven-sent markets, as (he Japanese called them, but in order to be able to develop any trade of importance with them it was necessary that more knowledge should be acquired by our people. “It is the opinion of many,” he said, “that commissioners should be sent out: to study conditions on the spot in the Far East, and to prepare for that development of trade which may reasonably be expected after the war, now (hat the competition of Germany has been eliminated.”