To the Eiitor of the "North China Daily News"
Tt seems to me that one point brought out in Mr. Francis Zic's Netter of June 9 so aptly illustrates the sort of injustice done by Chinese to foreigners that it is worthy comment. The point to which I refer is his criticism of forcignfers for ill-treating riesha coolies. One would like to ask if Mr. Zia really considers that the ill-treatment of riesha coolies, dreadfully lerable as it is, begins to com-
this unfortunate class of Chinese with the noble work dove for by the wholly foreign Micsha Mission?
Surely ill-treatment of. ricsha jeoolies by Chinese is not entirely] unknown, and on the other hand any constructive work done fos them other than that done by foreigners is unknown.
While considering this one phase} of Mr. Zia's letter, one's mind was Jdrawn on to consider the wider aspect of the Chinese attitude toward foreigners. While far from claiming that the Chinese have no grievance against foreigners, 1 feel sure that the Chinese themselves would admit that the foreign-Jers are not an unmixed evil. they make money in China, they also bring a great deal of money, into China. And a very class of thera are not interested in money-making, and Mr. Zia must realize, are making daily financial sacrifice by working for mission institutions.
But there is a class of people] who bring no money into China, and who devastate and rob wher: ever they go.
Why would not the same force which devotes so much time and strength to anti-foreign agitation do well to devote the same energy to delivering their country from the evil of the bandit soldiers? (1 wish to emphasise here that I do not refer to a trained and discip-Jined standing army, but to the disorderly rabble which causes much suffering in all parts of China.) If as much strength and money were spent in remedying this evil as in anti-foreign propa. anda what might not be accomplished!
The sufferings of China and of the Chinese incidental to the residence of foreigners are simply not, to be compared in magnitude to} that caused by the bandit soldiers, while at the same time China receives some benefit from the resi-idence of foreigners and none at all from maraudings of looters.
The soldiers, on the other hand, one knows in many cases, have no alternative but soldiering or! starvation. Therefore if this great} mass of poverty-stricken soldiers, who are totally unable to resi the temptation of gaining com. parative wealth by looting when the opportunity comes their way, were tured into a great industrial army, before many years went hina would he in fact, a she potentially, one of the greatest countries on which the sun ever shone, Let but these soldiers be turned to road-building, mining, railroad. building, and most important off all, famine prevention, what bene-would accrue to China!
Lest it should be argued that this Teaves no provision agai foreign invasion, by all means store arms and ammunition under ea worlzmen ito soldiers a case ard, and be prepared to tarn
of danger rom any foreign Power. Sturdy and self-respecting work. men would surely make no woree soldiers than the pitiful rabble now bearing that name, especially if in contracting with' them it were understood that military service, jin case of invasion or danger: off eaton, wonll he. expected of them. But in the meantime, living' trea in" comatreste well-paid work, make it possible for them to live without ban-dirty, and be a source of wealth na cular papers had the. barefaced effrontery to. accuse the of having paid cooties to burn his own gots!) Four or five other to their country, on which at sent they are an unmitigated Bit: foreign houses were raided and their contents suffered in greater or les ser-degree, and had it not been for soldier, do nothing to remedy the te, timely arrival of Chinese police "The Chincae; while: hating the Of dosree, and had it not. boon and Fengtien troops, there is no gorse; while hating the foreigner! route the whole euncesion would Tee Meare thet hima [have been wrecked by. "'peaceful" methods.
'There is just one other point in Tam, eto, this connection, which is to_ call attention to the' figures in Prof.
MeNair's book, "Chinese in Other Chinkiang, Tune 10, 1926, Lands." If Mr. Lia, while remind 1g us of the hospitality we enjoy At the hands of the Chinese, would
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.