GRAY PRAISES PORTER RESOLUTION ON CHINA

"The Porter Resolution, now before the House of Representatives, embodies the principles which offer the true solution of the Chinese problem, at least so far as the United States is concerned," said Harold S. Gray '18, recently returned from a seven year's stay in China, in an interview with the Crimson last night.

Mr. Gray has spent seven years teaching in Central China University where he had an opportunity to study conditions. Since his return he has taken up graduate work in Economics but expects to return to China in the future.

"Because of ancestor worship," said Mr. Gray, "China is a sadly overpopulated country. This overpopulation and the ignorance of the people, coupled with the fact that great numbers of them are on the verge of starvation, makes it possible for employers to exploit them. They are herded into the cities and paid harely enough to live on. As a result China furnishes the most fertile soil for any sort of propaganda. Here one finds the most promising source of mob violence."

Chinese Feel They are Exploited

Mr. Gray then went on to explain that the Chinese have been aroused to feel that they are being exploited by the foreign powers. As a result there is a great deal of resentment toward foreigners.

"This resentment, however," said Mr. Gray, "is not altogether without justification. China, under the old government drew up treaties with 13 countries which bound her to a uniform five, per cent tariff on all goods. As a result they are unable to foster infant industries by protection, or to impose duties for revenue. This is obviously unjust and is a damper to progress."

The Porter Resolution, Mr. Gray explained, proposes that Chinese representatives should be invited to Washington to confer on the revision of the treaty. A revision will be of obvious benefit to China but will not be detrimental to the United States in any way. "Our exports to China are of the sort that probably would be admitted duty free," said Mr. Gray. "This is not so with England and Japan, however, for it is from those countries that cotton goods are now sent to China, and the cotton industry is one which the Chinese wish to foster by protection."

Mr. Gray then went on to say that treaty revision with the United States would force the other countries to follow suit because of the competition for Chinese trade.

When asked if he thought the present disturbances would result in unification Mr. Gray said that such a thing is possible but that he did not consider unity a probability in the near future.