May 25.
Most Chinese have an impression that there are a vast number of foreigners in China who are exploiting the country to the detriment of the nat sons of the soil, where: ese abroad are few in number and but a feeble folk. A book, recently published by Professor MeNair of St. John's University, entitled "The Chinese Abroad, corrects this erroneous impr sion and is worthy of careful study by those Chinese who take an interest in the welfare of their countrymen in other lands. There are.in China some 240,000 foreigners of all nationalities, Of these the Japanese make up by far the larger half, Deduct the Japanese quota and there remain but 96,000 foreigners and Russia claims 68,000 of them, There are 9,000 British and 8,000 Americans; the balance is made up of some twenty nationalities.—When these are divided amongst China's 400,000,000 and seatter-ed over the vast extent of her territory it becomes that the foreign China is but a trivial affair in comparison with the influx of Chinese into the territories of other Powers.
The total number of Chinese abroad is between eight and nine millions. The British pire has about 2,000,000, the United States " quarter of a million, South America half a million. Continental Europe and its Colonial possessions ae-aunt for another million and Japan with her dependencies absorbs some 4,000,000. The vest axe scattered in smaller numbers well over the globe. The larger proportion of the British share of Chinese emigrants is to be found in the Straits Settlements Singapore is almost a Chinese city; there are more Chinese there than in any city outside of China proper. in Malaysia, the great tin mining industry is, for the most part, in the hands of Chinese and they produce more than half of the world's supply of that useful metal. Sir Char-Jes Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak, says, "Without the Chinaman we could do nothing, When he in not allowed to form secret societies he is easily governed," but, unfortunately, many a Chit ese carries his love of the ways that are dark into the countries to which he emigrates and this makes him a much less desirable acquisition than he would otherwise be. On the whole Chinese abroad have prospered amaz ly. The American Consul at Hongkong states that Chinese living overseas annually remit 250,000,000 Mex. to that colony for the benefit of the old folks and relatives who have been left in the old home. Probably as much more is sent to the other ports in Southern. China from whence the emigrants chiefly come. There is a continual migration of Chinese to the Straits and South Sea Islands, In 1915 Chinese' immigrants to the Straits Settlements totalled 95,735. A number almost equally large returns year by year to its native Shore and, like the Israelite when they went out of Egypt, none. come back empty. In the nature of the case it is impossible to give more than an esti-Imate of China's invisible imports [but these must amount to a vast In most of the lands to which [they go, whether as merchants lor ak labourers, the Chinese are Jwelcomed for their enterprise Jand industry. We have already referred to the pernicious §nfluence of the "Tongs" and other jeecret societies which they form wherever they congregate. There is another trade in which they are adepts; the Chinese are the most expert smugglers in the world. Our columns related a few days ago the expulsion of a Chinese from London who had made himself obnoxious as~an extensive dealer narcotic drugs. Wealthy and jeultured, he moved in, what is called, society and left a trail of corruption wherever he went. On the Pacific coast Chinese peddlers of these noxious drug: sre to be found in every city. The Chinese crews of the steamers trading to European and American ports are smi glers to a man. It is Americ good fortune that they do not Jadd bootlegging to the other enterprises in which they excel.
they did the task of enforcing prohibition would be many times more difficult than it now i We certainly do not grudge to the Chinese trader or labourer the emoluments that are the rewards of his energy and enterprise. From the equator to the arctic circle there is scarcely a country in which the Chin-jose have not gained a footing land there are few places from Iwhich they cannot wring something more than a competence. [Like all pioneers they have had to suffer persecution and obloquy. [Labour resents their competition and the low standard of living with which they are content. Inthe settlement of claims which they have made for losses sustained through violent _opposition to their presence Professor McNair says, "Both England and Canada seem to have accepted and to have acted on the principle of liability for the protection of Chinese Aliens. But Mexico, following the example of the United States, has otused to recognize the principle of liability for losses and injuries to aliens perpetrated by the mob." And finally, "Their characteristics of passive resistance have exposed them to more injuries and persecutions than has been experienced by any other people. Nevertheless, they have prospered exceedingly, jo fact that may be accepted as }vindication of their methods—jand worthy of consideration by students of the Sermon on the Mount in relation to modern imperialism,"
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.