The editors and publishers desire to express their appreciation for valuable advice and suggestions received from the following: Hon. Andrew D. White, LL.D., Alfred Thayer Mahan, D.C.L., LL.D., Hon. Charles Emory Smith, LL.D., Professor Edward Gaylord Bourne, Ph.D., Charles F. Thwing, LL.D., Dr. Emil Reich, William Elliot Griffis, LL.D., Professor John Martin Vincent, Ph.D., LL.D., Melvil Dewey, LL.D., Alston Ellis, LL.D., Professor Charles H. McCarthy, Ph.D., Professor Herman V. Ames, Ph.D., Professor Walter L. Fleming, Ph.D., Professor David Y. Thomas, Ph.D., Mr. Otto Reich and Mr. Francis J. Reynolds. NOTE The editors of "The History of Nations" concluded their work with the chronicling of events to October, 1905, and all additions thereafter, bringing the histories to date, have been supplied by the publishers. PREFACE THE antiquity of China is so great, and the history of the Empire covers so vast a period, that it is difficult t compress the whole subject within the limits of a single volume. It was determined, therefore, to limit the record, in the present instance, to the annals of the Empire from the time of Marco Polo to the present day, which constitutes by far the most important period. As is well known, the Chinese possess histories of their various dynasties, and they attempt to insure that these should be truthful records by ruling that the events of each dynasty should not be described by contemporary historians, but by authors under the succeeding régime. It might be supposed that this system would entail the compilation of biased and ex parte chronicles. But happily Chinese historians, like the rest of their countrymen, are so devoid of patriotism that they have no inducement to pervert facts, or to trim their sails to the necessities of party feeling. Generally truthful as these historians are, however, their works yet labor under the defect common to all Oriental histories of being records of the court and camp rather than of the life of the people; and it is only by reference to miscellaneous sources that it has been possible to obtain the side lights necessary to illustrate the true progress of the nation. Among the authorities I have consulted are the following: The native dynastic histories; the "Sheng Wu Ki," or the wars of the present dynasty, by Wei Yuen; various native biographical works; the Peking Gazette, the oldest newspaper in the world; the Parliamentary Blue Books; the histories of China by Wells, Williams, Boulger, and Macgowan; "The Jesuits in China," by R. Jenkins; " A Narrative of Events in China," by Lord Loch; " The Ever-Victorious Army," by Andrew Wilson, besides many others which have been made use of for comparison or reference. Robut K. Douglas |