Evening star., 1895-06-08

would receive me at the legation al II a. m.
In reply to my questions.
1t was just IL o'clock when 1 rode up
past the residence of Justice Harlan, on
the heights overlooking the city, and stop
ped at the big stone mansion occupied by
the Chinese legation. 1t is a magnificent
building. commanding a view of Arling-
ton and of the silvery sheet of the Po-
tcmac river, which, like silver band,
lines the southern horizon as you stand
on the steps of the legation and look
over the city. l pressed the electric but
ton of the front door. A negro butler
opened it, and was ushered into the home
of China in the United States. The inside
of diplomatic building in Washington is
practically foreign territory. The police
cannot come in 10 arrest the inmates, and
they in many respects are not subject to
American laws. The flags which float over
their buildings protect them, and when
you enter them you are for a time in a
foreign country.
My surroundings in the Chinese legation,
however. Were not far different from those
of American homes. The house is furnish
ed with foreign carpets and with American
sofas and chairs. A Chinese jar or
vase stands here and there, aud the walls
of the parlor are hung with magnificent
SCI oils covered with Chinese characters in
gold on background of blue silk; but fur
ther than this the furniture is of the con-
ventional American type. The darlSey told
me Ito rest my hat the table, and
that the minister would be down in a mo-
ment l had hardly taken my seat in the
parlor when two bright-eyed young China
men came in and bade me good morning in
English. These are among the secretaries
of the legation. They both spoke English
perfectly, and one of the young men was
graduate of Yale College.
How the Minister Looked.
A moment later the minister was an
nounced. stout round-faced, almond
eyed, cream-colored man, he was dressed
in a long silk gown. which reached to his
feet He had on above this a sleeveless
jacket of bright red, and his rather hand
some head was topped with a skull cap,
with an edge of gold embroidery running
around it. The front of this cap was deco
rated with two buttons. One was of some
transparent stone. about the size of a
pigeons egg, and of a bright red in color.
and just below this there was a great
pearl as big as pea and of perfect shape.
Out of the back of his cap hung his long
queue, and below his gown shone out Slip
tune was rich in the extreme, and you
know he is said to be one of the richest
men Of China. He brought with him the
largest legation that has ever come to.
this country, and it was stated at the time
that his baggage consisted of eighty
trunks. He has entertained more magnifi-
Gently than the Chinese ministers of the
past, and has made number of innovations
In this respect in the Chinese legation. He
brought his family with him, and, con-
trary to the usual custom of Chinese la
festivities of the capital.
The minister himself has strong pro-
gressive tendencies. He looks at matters in
a common sense way and his answers to
my questions were short. sharp and to the
point One of his secretaries had list of
my questions, and when his excelIency had
taken me into his private parlor he began
the talk by pulling a Chinese manuscript
from his sleeve and handing it to the Chi
nese graduate of Yale. These We're the
answers which his excelIency had dictated
in Chinese to my manuscript questions in
English. The questions were repeated and
the secretary read the answers in English.
From time to time I asked other questions.
These were Interpreted to his eXcellency,
and he answered them in Chinese, which
was in turn translated by the secretary to
me.
The Chinese-Jnpanese War.
The first subject was the Chinese-Japan-
ese war, and 1 asked his excellency as to
what, in his opinion, was the cause of the
Chinese defeat.
He replied: '"The Chinese were defeated
because they were not prepared for war.
They are as brave as any other people on
the globe, and believe if properly trained
they would make good soldiers. Japan has
twenty years. She has been remodeling
her army and organizing her troops on the
modern plan. Japan is a small country. 1t
is much easier for it to adopt foreign
methods than a great nation like China.
The result is that the Japanese govern
ment have been able to adopt modern
methods. They had established a better
navy than we have and they did all this
quietly and in such a way that the other
Asatic nations had no suspicion of their
plaIs. Japan was our neighbor We knew
that she was changing her civilization,
but We had no idea that she was studying
the arts of war they practiced in
Europe to fight her next-door neighbor.
look upon 1t as a mistake on our part that
discover
have known it and prepared for it,
Then you do not think that the result