Hard Facts. Which Point a Moral for Young China: A New York Opinion The following editorial taken from the "New York Herald Tribune" offers food for thought, not only to the foreigner but- to those Chinese who ery so Jong and loudly regarding the supposed ills ¢o which their country ie sub= jected by the foreigner.
Herd facts and stern reality exasperating opponents. Theory and sentiment may laboriously erect an inverted pyramid only #7 have fall in ruing before the impact of a single fact. Thus the spokesmen of Young China must witness the repeated destruction of their carefully threaded asvuments for the abolition of foreign treaty rights in China.
The reports of deaths from cholera in Shanghai are an example of this tendency of facts to be ae "hard boiled" as any treaty-port philosopher, when it comes to this kind lof demolition. A thousand deaths a day are reported from the native districts, while there have been no deaths: so far in the foreign ccnces-
To understand the significance of these figures and their bearing upon the question of foreign concessions in China it is necessary to recall the origin of the Shanghai "settlement." There was a huge Chinese city on the Huangpu long before the foreigner came. "When, in 1843, the port was opened to foreign trade, the foreign= ers found its population living under conditions which would have meant learly death for Europea asked for an allotment of they could build houses and streets after their own kind, and the Chineeo igned the swamplands along the tank below the city. The worthless marsh was considered quits gocd enough for the foreigner.
What Can be Done The foreigners accepted the Jand assigned, and upon it during the succeeding fourscore yenrs they hava built magnificent modern city, whose broad avenues and towering buildings quite overshadow the old Chinese metropolie. The Chinero themeclves Rave not been slow to seek the advantages of the foreign rottlement, and they have moved into it by thousands, so that about 90 per cent, of its inhabitants During all of there years, despite the influx of Chinese, the foresgne have kept the municipal administr tion in theft own hands. Sanitation, ends and streets and police protec: tion have been rigorously kept up to foreign standards. It is only neces~ sary to look at the—surrounding towns, at the native city of Shen hai itself, and the conditions whea prevail there under Chinese ministration, to see why the foreign-Jers living in the settlement. insist upon retaining their control.
Neither precept nor example has cratched the thick hide of Chinese Jecmplacency, and Chinese cities re= main the fovl-smelling breeders of disease they were before the foreign for arrived. Young China has been Ino more willing than old China to Jdevote itself to improving conditions ]which are a far more shameful stain jupon China's escutcheon than the {rifling infringements upon her sovereignty.
Young China prefers to prate of national dignity and Jdemard the "restoration of Chi rights." But their pleas will fall upon deaf ears until China makes it safe for Chinese at least to live in her The foreigner will not sacrifice a thousand lives a day to apathy and corruption, in 1921 5.1 per cent, of the male palation of India afd 14 per of the female population were at tending recognized schools in 1926 [the percentage haq increased to 6.05 1.24 rcepectively. These figures, however, do not take into account increase in population of British India since the last census was made.
Compulsory education has made very. little headway. The total expenditure by the Government of India on education is Re. 9,98,01,594, repr eentirg only four annas per bead of the population.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.