The morning call., 1893-03-11
LEARNING CHINESE.

The Chief of Police in San Francisco has
always special work for his staff in China
town, and at times has to be very vigilant
indeed in preventing outrage and tracking
crime. The Chinese constitute a large pop
laton, living huddled together In a quarter
of their own. and they pay more regard to
their own edicts and customs than to the
general law and municipal ordinances. A
proclamation by the Chinese Consul or by
the heads of the Six Companies receives
prompt attention. Requirements from such
sources are authoritative, and placards in
Chinese characters posted at street corners
are perused and their iniunciiOns remem-
barred. But police duty IN the Chinese
quarter is obviously handicapped by the fact
that not a single officer knows the Chinese
language or can read Chinese characters on
the dead walls. Il is all Greek to them. The
utmost they can do is TO hold limited con-
versation in Ddgin English and listen to
an imperfect translation ID the same detest-
able liugual medley. Murder, kidnapping,
blackmail, rapine of any kind, may be in
tie air under the very noses Of the officers,
and they may pass by without shadow of
suspicion Of what impends. This is hardly
what should be 10 policing a troublesome
quarter. But it is not easy to suggest
remedy. a man who can talk Chinese flu
emily would probably not remain a police
officer unless at larger salary. he would
seek employment as an interpreter, or, still
better, night set I'D as a merchant with
many circumstances in his favor. The aver
age adult would find il very difficult Indeed
to pick up speech facility in Chinese 1t
involves long and earnest application.
Hence a school in which the star-decorated
force might be taught Chinese would have
very unwilling pupils. An Hun garan, whose
own tongue IS scarcely less difficult, would
find the task tolerably easy. Possi bly, also
a Russian would make headway but 1ot the
English-speaking stock. For many reasons
the employment of Chinese as policemen is
out of the question. II detectives or police-
men are enlisted who can speak Chinese
they would doubtless demand moTJ salary
than the ordinary members of the force
receive.
The commercial gain to tits would be
considerable were more attention paid to
the teaching Of Chinese. Trade with the
Orient is certain to increase from year to
year. and the merchant who is familiar
with Oriental tongues has leverage which
enables him to push ahead of competitors.
The japanese tongue is almost as Deedful
10 merchant as the Chinese. Great
changes are imminent in China within
brief range OF years, because the empire
cannot remain Indifferent to the progress of
Western IDEAS in the Mikado's kingdom
Engineering works Of many kinds will be
required on a gigantic scale in China when
the awakening out Of the crude past does
come. Railways, bridges, river improve
ments, telegraDhs, iron works. collieries and
factories are adjuncts Of progress that must
come in this slumberiBg empire soon. Lin
guistic facility will be no despicable aid to
enterprise and success when the tide of
change does set in, and the Pacific Coast
should be fully prepared to reap its share
of the advantages. The beginner in Chinese
has one consolation. II is not necessary to
aim at being a scholar capable of critlcizng
what philosophy China possesses. Modern
science could not find expression for its con-
ceptions and terminoloGy in the tongue.
What is needed is facility in common speech
about the common things of life.