CHINESE FOR ALLIES.
TROOPS MAY BE SENT. DR. MORRISON" INTERVIEWED. Dr. Morrison, Foreign Advisor to the Chinese Government, who arrived in Sydney recently, states that it is absolutely certain that China will send an armed force to the assistance of the Allies. All classes of thought in China, he affirmed, favor the country's active participation in the war. Dr. G. E. Morrison has exercised probably more influence in Chinese affairs during the past ten years than any other man living He is just now in Australia on a holiday trip which will extend over six months. Officially he is one of the foreign advisers to the Chinese Government. There are four other advisers, representing France, Japan, the United States, and Belgium, each looking after his own country's interests. Dr. Morrison is the nolitical adviser. One of the others Is legal adviser, a third is adviser to the Foreign Office, and another adviser on wnstitutional government Dr. Morriison was the first appointed, smd he has been in intimate association with Chinese affairs of State ever since. Even before he accepted an official appointment, his position as Eastern correspondent of The Times made him a nun ■it influence throughout the East. CHINA'S PART IN THE WAR. China is right in the war on the side of the Allies. The official position is supported by popular opinion, find I>. Morrison (says Sydney Sun) thinks it extremely likely that an armed force will be sent to Europe at an early date. Up to the present only coolies have been despatched. "China, declared war on Germany and Austria in August. • She has already for some time past been sefiding a large number of laborers to the AVest front in France," he said. "The coolies are probably the finest in the world, an* they are .drawn principally from rr.e province of Shantung. ' It is a wander - ful service, and has been thoroughly organised by the British Consular au- ! thorities. "These men are well paid, and they are permitted to leave a large proportion—about half—of their pay to ivny■one they nominate in China. Tlat. means that hundreds of thousands of dollars are coming into one province of China every month. THE FINANCIAL POSITION. "The great difficulty in China 's that the value of silver in relation to gold varies so much. The range of one dol&r in value is from Is fid to 3s 4d. Ju.it now it is about 3s. consequently the men who are paid on a gold basic-, are not so well off as they would be if the value of the silver currency was lower. "But the high rate of exchange has proved very valuable to China) and the financial position of the country is better than it has been at any other time during the last twenty years. China has to meet her foreign obligations in gold, and with silver at such a high price the advantage is all in China's favor." ■ PUNISHING GERMANY. Speaking of China's part in the war he said that already about 80,000 coolies had been sent to the French and British. "They are industrious, docile, and wellmanaged men," he added. "Indirectly China has been able to severely punish Germany. All Germans have been dismissed from the Government service, which .includes the Customs, the Post Office, and the salt industry. In the Customs Department alone 11R Germans were put off, and many of them held high positions. Under the salt administration the second man on the staff, enjoying a large salary, was displaced because he was a German. "An immense proportion of the people agree with the policy of the Government," he added in answer to a que*tion. "I should say that the whole of the thinking people—all those who desire the uplifting of China—are in accord with the action taken by the Government in its policy against Germany and Austria. WAR INDEMNITIES REPUDIATED. "The declaring of war at once raises China's position among the nations, and gives her a voice at the peace conference that will come afterwards. It meajis the re-establishing of her finances. "The war terminates her treaty engagements, and by treaty engagement China owes Germany .t12,u00,000, and Austria. £OOO,OOO. ' Those obligations were wiped out by the declaration of war. The debts consisted of war indemnities which were forced upon China. She is now in a position to repudiate them. They represented Germany's and Austria's share in the Boxer indemnity of 1900. "China also recovers possession of the foreign concession areas which were alone subpeet to German control in Tien Tsin and Hanko." TROOPS FOR EUROPE. "Absolutely certain" was the emphatic rejoinder Dr. Morrison made to an inquiry as to whether China would send an armed force to Europe. "There is a difficulty In regard to finances, which is now being adjusted. Of course, there is also a difficulty .regarding transport and the maintenance of troops, but all classes in the community are agreed as to the importance of sending troops. Whatever number went—say a force of 25,Wf1fl was despatched—it would be kept up to its full strength throughout "There would be no trouble in feeding them. The Chinese are the most omnivorous eaters on the earth. Of course, large numbers of them are vegetarians, but there aie no caste prejudices as there are among some of the other Eastern races. The northerns are grain eaters. Their food is mainly millet, com, and a kind of macaroni. The feeding of the men would present no difficulties. UNLIMITED NUMBER OF MEN. "Practically there is no limit to the number of men China can send"to Europe. It is estimated that at least S00,00!) could be despatched, subject, of course, to the transport difficulties. ' -Thy" financial question will he satisfactorily settled. The cost of the Chinese soldier would not lie so great as the cost of the coolies who have already been sent. "Everyone who is in favor of the uplifting of China advocates the sending of troops. All thoughtful Chinese and all thoughtful foreigners in China expect they will be sent, because it will have a great effect upon the whole nation. There is a good deal of internal dissension in China, and it requires some big act like coming into the war to bring (ho people together.
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Taranaki Daily News, 17 January 1918, Page 3
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1,041CHINESE FOR ALLIES. Taranaki Daily News, 17 January 1918, Page 3
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