THE CHINESE STUDENT 275
of the bamboo, but those days are past, and now no one can cope with the student except the soldier. The student has been quick to realise this, and he is now very chary of interfering with the military.
Huc's theory of the Chinese being strong to the weak and weak to the strong is thus again exemplified, and this accounts partly for his antipathy to the foreigner. There is generally a latent feeling of dislike to the foreigner in every Chinese who has any education, chiefly because he realises in his heart of hearts the superiority of the foreigner.
The student therefore finds he is a popular idol if he goes for the foreign devil. His chief weapon of offence is of course going on strike or organising a boycott, a form of passive resistance for which the Chinese are unrivalled.
If only they could organise their internal affairs with the same ingenuity and thoroughness they would soon rise from their present state of chaos, but unluckily Chinese ingenuity, which is great, always seems to be diverted into a wrong channel.
Official corruption is the curse of China, every one is out to make money, the foolish people in power often playing with edged tools and raising soldiers far beyond the needs of the country and neglecting to pay them. This is the chief cause of the present state of brigandage throughout the country and yet against these crowning evils the voice of the student is never raised.
Though the lot of the tribes or alien races who have fallen under the power of China has not been a happy one, this is never thought of.
IIIF Color HighRes
