pheres of influence' in
China?" I asked. "Do they ask the Chinese Government to give them to
them?--to set apart certain territory, certain provinces, and give them
commercial and trading rights to these areas?"

"Ask the Chinese Government?" repeated the young man, scornfully. "Ask
the Chinese? I should say not! The European powers just arrange it among
themselves, each decides what provinces it wants, agrees not to trespass
upon the spheres of influence of one another, and then they just notify
China."

"Just notify China?" I exclaimed. "You mean they don't consult China at
all and find out whether she's willing or not? You mean they just decide
the matter among themselves, partition out the country as they like,
select such territory as they happen to fancy, and then just notify
China?"

"That's the idea," he returned; "virtually that's all there is to it.
Choose what they want and then just notify China."

"Dear me!" said I.

I'm glad we met that young man. I like things put simply, in words of
one syllable, within range of the understanding. Moreover, incredible as
it seems, what he told us is true. Oh, of course, as I've found out
since, there are treaties and things to be signed after China has been
notified. She is then compelled to ratify these treaties or agreements;
it looks better. Forced to sign them at the pistol's point, as it were.
However, this ratification of treaties is more for the benefit of the
European powers than for China. Having staked out their claims, they
officially record them; that's all. And you know what used to happen in
our country during the good old days of the "forty-niners" if some one
jumped another's claim.

To show to what extent poor old China is under the "influence" of the
great European powers, I shall have to give you a few statistics;
otherwise you won't believe me. The total area of the Chinese Republic
is about 4,300,000 square miles. The spheres of influence of some of the
important nations are as follows:

Square miles

England: Tibet 533,000

Szechuen 218,000

Kwan'tung 86,000

Provinces of Yangtse Valley 362,000

Total 1,199,000 or 27.8%

Russia: Outer Mongolia 1,000,000

Che-Kiang 548,000

Three-quarters