In the midst of this trade war, Tan saw how overseas industrialists and China itself were both the weaker parties amidst the struggles they faced, as well as the threats his homeland faced and the continuing strengthening of Western civilization.
在商戰中，他看到華僑工商業者、看到中國在激烈的競爭中屢屢處於劣勢，看到祖國處境的艱危，也看到列強文明事業的進步。