which I set forth in Chap.  X., unless China becomes strong, either the collapse of Japan or her unquestioned ascendency in the Far East is almost certain to prove disastrous to China; and one or other of these is very likely to come about.  All the Great Powers, without exception, have interests which are incompatible, in the long run, with China’s welfare and with the best development of Chinese civilization.  Therefore the Chinese must seek salvation in their own energy, not in the benevolence of any outside Power.

The problem is not merely one of political independence; a certain cultural independence is at least as important.  I have tried to show in this book that the Chinese are, in certain ways, superior to us, and it would not be good either for them or for us if, in these ways, they had to descend to our level in order to preserve their existence as a nation.  In this matter, however, a compromise is necessary.  Unless they adopt some of our vices to some extent, we shall not respect them, and they will be increasingly oppressed by foreign nations.  The object must be to keep this process within the narrowest limits compatible with safety.

First of all, a patriotic spirit is necessary—­not, of course, the bigoted anti-foreign spirit of the Boxers, but the enlightened attitude which is willing to learn from other nations while not willing to allow them to dominate.  This attitude has been generated among educated Chinese, and to a great extent in the merchant class, by the brutal tuition of Japan.  The danger of patriotism is that, as soon as it has proved strong enough for successful defence, it is apt to turn to foreign aggression.  China, by her resources and her population, is capable of being the greatest Power in the world after the United States.  It is much to be feared that, in the process of becoming strong enough to preserve their independence, the Chinese may become strong enough to embark upon a career of imperialism.  It cannot be too strongly urged that patriotism should be only defensive, not aggressive.  But with this proviso, I think a spirit of patriotism is absolutely necessary to the regeneration of China.  Independence is to be sought, not as an end in itself, but as a means towards a new blend of Western skill with the traditional Chinese virtues.  If this end is not achieved, political independence will have little value.

The three chief requisites, I should say, are:  (1) The establishment of an orderly Government; (2) industrial development under Chinese control; (3) The spread of education.  All these aims will have to be pursued concurrently, but on the whole their urgency seems to me to come in the above order.  We have already seen how large a part the State will have to take in building up industry, and how impossible this is while the political anarchy continues.  Funds for education on a large scale are also unobtainable until there is good government.  Therefore good