The press would then take it up and the politically sensitive adistration in Washington would show an acute interest and some public sympathy for the suffering Chinese common people. Before you knew how or why, half the country would be in maudlin tears about military atrocities and then the Government would only have to remind a few publicists how the American flag had been repeatedly fired upon, bow American diplomats and consular officials had been treat with contempt by mili Potentates, and they would have, over night, a popular mandate for' fany drasti¢ action that they cared tu take in this country.
'Those who say that America could never be brought to endorse intervention in this country know nothing of the American people's penchant for hysterically senti mental crusading nor the power fof the medium through which the reissionaries' work is shaping public opinion, It is the studied opinion of one of the most competent observers in China that toriality were abolished, missionary propaganda would bring intervention within three months.
In assuming that changing conditions are slowly working a change in American policy in China the writer is not drawing upon own imagination but upon the observations of many competent persons. The altered missionary a tude' has begun to be reflected not only in' Peking but in America as well and the United States Guvernment has already begun to display an interest in facts about the particularly about juth China which, little while ago, it would have taken rear pains to ignore, is much more largely economic than sentimental, but her great barrier for several' years to a frank contemplation of things as they really fre in Asia has been raised by ancther species of sentimentalism. While pious sentimentalism has made it impossible for America face real issues in this country, Red sentimentalism has raised up oth political and economic difficulties in the way of an honest British policy in Asi Prior to this year's general strike the British Government had no organ through which it could have pre-ented to the British public the unvarnished facts about any Asiatic issue, while the Russian Soviet had many ways of presenting its interpretation of every Asiatic _problem in the light of Red sentimentalls which interpretations the sentimentalists were always ready to endorse. To appreciate this one had only to interview British workmen in England and Scotland—a. year ago, while Russia was menting ' hydrophobic demonstrations in this country and Feng Yuhsiang, prodded on by Niyin and other Soviet advisers, was challenge ing Great Britain to fight, It was then very apparent that the folk in England who had most information upon what was going on in if] China and were most kernly interested, were the working men. Wherever one encountered them they could give detailed accounts of events from precisely the same angle as Karakhan's agents in this country; and every time an Asiatic question came up in Parliament and 4 labour Member had something to Ssup-about of, it ro so much ike a Chighetin naoto or a Karakhan interviews that it was almost un-
Red Inspiration the Obstacle was very clear: that no interpretation of events im Asia was then accepted in labour circles but the Red misinterpretation, spread brondeast over the world in every! instance with the object of dis arming the Occidental Governments: while Russian agents in Asia lowered their prestige and wrecked thei economic investments. It was per fectly clear, therefore, that until the Red inspiration was discredited, the British Government could take! no action in Asia, which would not be challenged vociferously by Union Labour in and out of the House of Commons and made the case belli it. a domestic political feud. With the coal iasue"impending and the Government working up its defence against the inevitable Red assault! upon constitutional government which actually came this past May, it would-have been very poor poli ies indeed to have allowed an Asiatic issue to be converted into a domestic feud, s" a frank and fear-leas study of conditions in China was out of the question.
The reader need not be told that conditions have now changed materially. The Red inspiration is class Tolle not only with middle but with a great portion of Union Labour. The Russian attitude towards events in the East world still be reflected England by the vociferous radical minority but since the General Strike the advocacy of any "cause by this body would do much more to discredit it than to forward it. Red sentimentalism therefore has tle or no bearing upon British policy in the East at this juncture} and the Government is now—free! to give to essamic considerations te importance that they deserve.
The attempt made by Ho Teh-Hin upon th> integrity of the cos Customs service a few months ago, the failure of the Tariff Conference to secure China's debt or even to rove relations, the continued uppishneas of Mr. Borodin's Government in Canton in its relations with Hongkong, the collapse of the!
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.