It is clear that the Western imperialists, through devious trickery, intend to enslave the hard-working and diligent Chinese people. Let us not forget that the evil and dishonest English forced us into a humiliating peace in 1844. They threatened us at gunpoint with their cannon and rifles to open several ports. They provoked war, slaughtered our people, and demanded we allow the sale of narcotics by their merchants!(1)
That was an outrageous demand, yet at least
it was only one country. Now look at our desecrated homeland!
German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, French, English, and, worst
of all, Japanese vermin all crawl about our once-gracious ports
and cities.(2)
The greedy merchants from all these countries
have flocked to our markets like so many tigers to a kill. Their
gunboats patrol our shores right up our coasts as though they
were their own!(3) They have taken upon themselves the responsibility
of garrisoning troops in their settlements. These are not Chinese
troops, but foreign troops! Who do these people think they are?
These troops do not merely serve the purpose protection however.
Thanks to their presence the Europeans demand special deals and
extort our people.
Not two years ago the German colonialists sent
sacrilegious Christian missionaries to convert our people. Righteous
as we are, our brothers killed them to prevent their poisonous
word from spreading. In reprisal, the Germans, who will do anything
for wealth, demanded reparations and used the excuse to take more
territories. They simply helped themselves to the Shandong peninsula.(4)
It is the belief of the European businessmen
that China is their right. These devils do not obey the laws of
the land. They do not respect the tariffs which our government
posts in a desperate attempt to stay in control.(5) Rather, they
ignore our Court's peaceful pleas and establish their own tax
systems to squeeze every bit of money from our local merchants
and drive them out.
For these ruthless men, people are to be swept
away like dogs in the street. Many are the poor peasants whose
homes have simply been rased to build railroads or canals. Yee
Hai-Lin of Liao Dong province was forced out of the way by the
Russians. "They came... These large men in coats with guns.
They told me, 'Lady, you have two minutes to leave.' Of course,
I did not understand, but I grabbed my children's hands and took
them outside. Then the Russians just burned my house!" To
build their "Transcontinental Railroad" the Russians
forced Yee and her entire village to clear out. "Winter will
come on soon," says Yee. "My children are cold, I am
cold, I do not know where we shall go."
To build these massive and ugly projects, the West exploits us without mercy. According to Shih Wu-Zhao of Shanghai, several English men in Western suits walked onto his property and demanded that he work for them. "Why must I work for something which will not benefit me?" he asked. The reply: "We shall pay you two guineas outright, and one for every man you bring along." "So I brought some of the best young men to work on this railroad, but the English simply leveled guns at us, pointed out shovels, and told us to build a grade."
Now the Americans have joined the fray. American State
Secretary John Hay has issued a proposal to all the imperialist
nations. He calls on them to respect the soverreignty of Her Celestial
Excellency The Empress Dowager Xi-Xi and eliminate the evil system
of "spheres of influence."(6)
Perhaps if Mr. Hay were half as "Honorable"
as he claims, the people of China would believe this worthless
lip service! He has said he is "earnestly desirous to remove
any cause of irritation and to insure at the same time to the
commerce of all nation in China the undoubted benefits" of
open trade. Yet not once does he mention the Chinese people in
any treaties. The interests of our great nation are not worth
mentioning, but "the commercial interests of Great Britain
and Japan will be so clearly served by the desired declaration
of intentions."(7)
In his announced policy, Mr. Hay wishes that
all Chinese ports be opened to trade, and that individual countries
allow all ships to enter with no tariffs other than those imposed
by our government. Yet Mr. Hay misses the point: Western ships
do not need to land in Chinese ports at all. Did not one of our
greatest emperors tell a supercilious English ambassador that
"We possess all things"? And as for the tax duties imposed
by Chinese authorities, does anybody in his right mind believe
the corrupt Westerners will respect them? Do these savages not
kill, steal, and extort with no fear of punishment on our territory?
Would a tax collector suddenly shy them? Of course not! Mr. John
Hay merely wishes for our people to become complacent and bow
in cooperation to American hegemony. [More
on American foreign policy.]
In a letter posted nine days ago, Mr. Hay mentioned
the American ambassador to Germany, "His Imperial German
Majesty, the Government of the United States, Great Britain, and
Japan, and His Majesty the Emperor of Russia." These nations
have all been key political powers in the drawing up of this deceitful
policy. Yet he only mentions "His Majesty the Emperor of
China" once, and at that only as an extorted pawn in a territorial
transaction. No word whatever is said of the role of soverreign
and righteous China herself in the making of this "Open Door"
policy, let alone her very agreement with this idea! The West
then clearly does not mean to preserve the integrity and stability
of our government, as they would have us believe through their
treacherous words.
Let us ask ourselves as citizens of China:
Would we open our doors onto streets plagued with diseases and
haunted by criminals? Will we then allow equally such dangerous
things into China in compliance with an idiotic "Open Door
Policy?" America has now joined the flock of demons seeking
to rend apart China, and she has placed a new mask upon her ugly
face: To deceive our people, she has promised to respect our soverreignty,
and insisted that others do the same in order that China not be
torn apart into colonies.(8) Her intentions remain the same: to
take over the nation and government of China in order to benefit
her own commerce.
So it is up to us to defeat America's and other nations' encroachment. In this new era of politics, if we do not fight we shall be destroyed! Five thousand years of heritage and magnificence will end unless the tide is reversed while it still can be. Let the Chinese people unite and forever banish the evil West from the Good Earth of China! Let the European bankers, politicians, lawyers, and murderers taste our steel and not forget it! Let China be great once more!
Sources
Works Cited:
(1)"Open Door policy" Encyclopædia Britannica
Online.
[http://www.eb.com:180/bol/topic?eu=58608&sctn=1&pm=1] Accessed 25 January 2002
(2) Jackson J. Spielvogel. World History: The Human Odyssey.
(Pennsylvania: West, 1998), 774-775.
(3) "Colonialism," Encyclopædia Britannica Online.
[http://www.eb.com:180/bol/topic?eu=108618&sctn=5&pm=1] Accessed 29 Jaunary 2002
(4) Spielvogel, 772.
(5) Beresford, Lord Charles William. The Break~Up of China.
(London: Harper & Bros, 1899), 454-455
(6) Cunich, Peter. Excerpt from a letter by the Hon. John Hay, American Secretary of State, to Mr. A. D. White
[http://hkuhist2.hku.hk/firstyear/Roberts/robertsE10.htm] Accessed 29 Jaunary 2002
(7) Ibid.
(8) "Colonialism," Encyclopædia Britannica Online.
Images:
Image 1: The Dragon, symbol of Imperial power.
[www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/winter/color.html
Image 2: Group of American Marines sent to Peking, 1900.
[http://www.nara.gov/publications/prologue/boxer.html]
Image 3: The Honorable John Hay, Secretary of State of the United States, circa 1900.
[http://www.smplanet.com/imperialism/fists.html]