Page:James Hudson Maurer - The Far East (1912).pdf/11

 that cannot, or do net, adapt themselves to their environments, are bound to suffer and eventually die.

In the strugggestruggle [sic] for an existence, a nation holding to its old antiquated Tenth century ideas and forms, cannot hope to survive against other nations who hold modern Twentieth century ideas.

No more so could the old stage lines compete against the modern railroads.

China had a rude awakening from her, slumbers. She knew that she was crushed; that her independence as a nation was gone; that the opium curse was to be fastened.upon her, no matter what she thought about it; that she was not only to be debauched but also ruined financially.

The Christians not only were determined to debauch her, but demanded an idemnity of twenty-four million dollars, with interest, besides the loss of some of her best seaports.

The great mass of wealth producers were already poverty-striken, due to the native parasites who had long since fastened themselves upon them. Therefore, this extra burden meant the squeezing still tighter of a starving nation. Chinese officials reasoned that since their subjects were already bled to the last drop, it would be useless to try and collect from them the twenty-four million dollars, or even the interest.

Some other means for raising the amount must be considered.

If the cultivation and sale of opium was profitable enough for the British to fight for its sale, why not, reasoned the Chinese diplomats, go into the opium business ourselves? Then, instead of our silver finding its way into the Christian capitalists' pockets in exchange for opium, it would remain at home and the profits would gently glide into the pockets of the Chinese capitalists, and from these pockets it would be easy to transform it to the coffers of the government.

This would solve the pressing financial problem. Yet if all restrictions on opium growing and its sale were removed, would it not in time demoralize, debauch and wreck the nation? On the other hand, if she stood faithfully by her old morals and ideas and refused to be a partner in the crimes, then how about the $24,000,000 that Great Britain was anxious to collect and China's silver was constantly leaving the country?