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This work was inspired by Richard McKenna's novel, "The Sand Pebbles", which takes place on the Yangtze River in the
late 1920's, during an era known as the "Unequal Treaties Period".  Outwardly, the US claimed to be protecting missionaries
from occasional attacks, but behind the scenes is a monopoly on kerosene imports for Standard Oil that was part of
the settlement for the deaths of missionaries during the Boxer Rebellion.  Red stripes are the Standard Oil logo of the
1920's, the stars are from the Kuomintang which was brutally solidifing it's power during this time, and the white stripes
are the missionaries (it is a chinese translation of the Lord's Prayer).  The Yangtze River cuts through the flag.  The image
is modified from a scene in the very fine movie based on McKenna's novel and of the same title.