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CHAPTERLGENERAL SURVEY (1907-WO).N the attempt to comprehend things Chinese (orany other things) three questions must first be faced :What are the facts ? Why are they ? and What ofthem ? It is next to certain that there are more peoplewho know much about China than there ever werebefore, and also that they know more about Chinathan was ever before known, yet the difficulty of comprehending China is not only not diminished but isactually increased as compared with say two decadesago. For this there are obvious reasons. The forcesoperating upon the China of that day while numerousand complex were relatively homogeneous and some ofthem comparatively passive. To-day all China is tingling with a consciousness or a semi-consciousness of anew life. Its homogeneity is as evident as it has everbeen, but its heterogeneity is far more so. The currents and the cross currents mingle confusedly, but theyare beneath the surface, and often the only evidence oftheir existence to the outsider is the emergence of newsandbars, the opening of new and intricate channels, andthe partial or complete closing of those which have beenlong in use.It is not the purpose of the following notes onexisting conditions in China to furnish information as toevents that the reader is supposed already to possess, orif not, he can obtain it from the chapters which follow,but to give a commentary on some of the more important internal aspects of China during the three yearswhich have elapsed since the Centennial Conference of1907. China s relations to other powers do not fallwithin the scope of our present survey.