Oct. 10, Today the Chinese will be celebrating their national day, not perhaps in the best of circumstances, but, nevertheless, with the hope thatthe time will come when in full independence they will have control of the destinies of their country. During the last thirty years China has passed through many vicissitudes, the most Important of which has undoubtedly been the four-year old struggle with the Japanese. The still to be decided, for though the have occupied a great portion of China, they have not succeeded either in destroying the Chinese National Government, or maintain~ ing any very considerable order in the prov~ inces which they have overrun. Indeed it may without exaggeration be said that the manner in which the Chinese have resisted and continue to resist the Japanese invasion has aroused the admiration of the whole world, and it speaks volumes for the spirit of the people that, ill-equipped as they are, they carry on the struggle with such remarkable determination, That is, in all probability, due to the great change which came over the people following the.fall of the Manchus. It was slow in first showing itself, but from 1911 there was gradual development of national conscious~ ness, which eventually brought about plote change of outlook with regard to as well'ag internal affairs. The many divi~ sions which prevailed throughout the country, especially during the evil days of the war lords, persisted until the second revolution when the Kuomintang, headed by Chiang Kai~ shek, started out from Canton in a campaign which was ultimately to put him and his parly at the head of the state. It matters notinow how that movement was inspired, for the Kuomintang made it clear quite early after its establishment in Nanking that it intended to administer the affairs of the nation entirely in its own way. The uni~ fication of the, whole country and the wiping out.of the war-lords gave early promise that the Chinese National Government was bent on the efficient administration of the affairs of China, and there can be little doubt that the government at Nanking was in many) ways far sunorior to that which had been establish ed in Peking, There was much for which the Kuomintang could be. and was criticized, but the reason~ able view is that the new Government was very much of an experiment and had to feel tts way gradually. Tt was doing that until the Manchurian Incident of 1931, when Chiang Kai-shek's administration was scarcely four years old, when the seizure of Manchuria by the Japanese, and the events which subsequently occurred in China itself did much to bring about that degree of unity, which in 1937 was to create such a surprise for Japan' and the world of large, All reports emanating from unoccupied China indicate that despite the disadvantages of war great changes are being effected amongst the Chi~ nese people. The local patriotisms of th past are riving place to a wider nation spirit, completely. altering the soul of the people and bringing about a degree of discipline which would not have been believed possible but a few short years ago. The great troubles through which China Is at present passing are contributing towards the creation of an entirely different people from those who witnessed the commencement of the first revolution.
'With the prevailing world-wide uncertain ties, it is, perhaps, idle to speculate as to what the' future holds' for China and its people. 'Much depends upon what happens elsewhere, but it can with justice be asserted that China, which has been rejuvenated, oddly enough, by repeated misfortunes, will not be denied' that destiny which is rightly hers. An immense country, whose very size was responsible for the divisions of the past, has been welded Into one unanimous mass, imbued with a deep national spirit, and a determination to fight until complete freedom. is secured. In her struggle she has the sympathy of a very large part of the world, and is receiving assistance which should ensure continuance of the struggle until the that law and justice shall again prevail. The
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.