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Chapter
X
The Yellow Peril
THERE are two questions in regard to
China that are frequently raised, which
merit attention on account of their being
supported by a belief that appears to be quite
wide-spread. One is whether it is not dangerous
commercially to supply the Chinese with facto-
ries, mills, railways and other modern means of
constructing, by means of which, operated by
their cheap labor, they will be able to flood the
world with articles at a price lower than they
can be manufactured elsewhere, and thus close
our own factories, or compel our laborers to
work for less pay. The other question is whether
it is not dangerous politically to teach the Chi-
nese modern methods, lest they will devote their
energies to making arms and ammunition and
overrun the world as Genghis Khan did, and
make us all vassals of the Son of Heaven. Both
questions are based on a fear of the so-called Yel-
low Peril. Let us take them up separately.
The basis of the first is the prevailing low rate
of wages. Although China is a land of surprises
and contradictions, the law of supply and demand
still remains true. A man is paid five cents a day,
because he is worth no more, and because there
are more men seeking employment than the
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