Evening star., 1897-05-15

represented, comprising about one-fourth
of all in the world. 1 thought of the age
of the Chinese and of their civilization. and
said; "I have oftened wondered. your ex-
cellency. what one OF you educated Chinese
think of and our prospects. Your ma
ton is gray-haired beside those of the west
You were a people In the daysswhen Egypt
was the center Of western learning. Your
nation was In It's prime when the Greeks
were the great people of the Mediterranean
You have existed while Rome rose and fell
and even today the Chinese are Intellectual
ly and physically strong: What Is TO De
the future? VIII our civilization pass away
and that of the Chinese still liver?
The bright light went out of the Chinese
minister's eyes, his face became sober anu.
after moments thought. he replied;
"Who can tell? The Chinese may last.
They are a people of wonderful race
strength. and it remains to be seen whether
they will be swallowed up or changed by
the new civilization. AS for me. look for
great changes. We have preserved our In
stitut'ons and customs throughout the past
because we have been walled In, as 1t were.
from the rest of the world. At the west
had the high plateau of Asia to keep
out invaders. and on the east there was
the sea. We had little communication with
the outside world. and their customs and
ideas did not affect US. Now the doors are
thrown open: and the new elements which
are coming in may make great changes.
We may lose something of our individual
ity, but we shall probably hold our own.'
The New Movement I'm China.
But. your excellency. is China now real
ly open to the world?'
"Yes.' was the reply.
Can you notice any material changes
going on?"
II think So" replied his excellency. but
you must remember that our country is
very large. We have an enormous number
of people. and 1t takes time to move such
A. 80 10 nhov not
ters quickly would be very likely to create
revolution. You will understand the dan
ger when tell you that there are tens of
millions of Chinese who have never seen a
foreigner ana who know practically moth
ing about foreign matters. The only way
to make changes in China Is by education.
1t is by this means that China may be led
to adopt modern methods. Such education
Is not a matter of days, but Of years. l be-
lieve the time will come when our people
will select from your civilization the best
things in 1t, end will add them to those
which we now have. The bad elements of
may be that the new civilization, the Chi
nese civilization of the future will be bet
ter than anything which exists today
The Railroad Movement.
How about the building of railroads in
China, your excellency?"
I'VE are pushing right ahead along such
lines was the reply. THE road from Tien
Tsin to Peking will be completed in June,
and you will then be able to go from the
seashore to the capital by rail-
Where will the Peking road end, your
excellency?"
1T will go to the very gates of the city
The distance is from eighty to ninety miles
and fast trains will probably take you from
Tien Tsin to Peking in about two hours
At present the journey requires from one to
three days. according to the route, whether
by river or by land
How about other railroads?'
I'VE have. you know, a very good line
from Iien Tsin to the Shanhaikwan, on the
edge of Manchuria. This is well built, and
the trains run regularly"
'Now about the line to Han Kow?"
That line is also being pushed said Mr..
WI 1H=ss Eng: 1T will IA through one of
the most populous parts of Cnina and will
go south through some of the best of our
provinces. touching large cities at every
few miles. There are now great car works
at Han Yang. little bit above Han Row.
and all sorts of railroad machinery are be-
ing made there"
How. about factories? Are many new
ones being built?"
Yes: but these are constructed by the
Chinese merchants and business men. and
not by the government. There is large
cotton mill at Han Kow, hundreds of miles
in the interior. There are other mills at
Shanghai including silk mills
How about the Japanese. At the close
of the war they expected to do great deal
of manufacturing in China, did they not?'
Yes, know they did" replied his excel
lency, Wu Ting Fang. They investigated
the situation and made many plans. but SO
far they have not carried them out. l do
| not know what they will do in the future"
But. your excellency. do you think the
Japanese could do much in China? l have
always thought the Chinese superior to the
Japanese in business ability"
There is little doubt of that" replied the
| Chinese minister. THE Japanese are very
.rtnly
are careful about going into anything they
| do not understand. Still they are very de-
| termined and sure. They are reliable and
| safe, end such progress as they make will
| be permanent.
The Missionaries and the Chinese.
| What are our missionaries doing In Chi
na?"
II think that the medical missionaries are
doing great good. replied the minister
They are earnest. able men and women
| They heal the sick. and they are introduc.
Ing modern medical ideas among the peo
| pie"
How about about the other missiona
| ries?''
oh replied his excellency. "they are
/ like all other kinds of men. Some are gooi
| and some are bad. There are black sheer
in every flock. and the missionaries are NJ
| exception. Still they do some good. They
| teach the practice Of morality and virtue
| pcOFIS WHO ttdCH SuCn tnlnRS VIII al
| ways make some converts"
| "Will they ever convert the whole Chinese
| nation?'
| NO" replied his excellency, with q
| laugh. DO you realize how many peopl,
| we are. and how long our religion has last
| ed? Such a conversion will be impossible
| May Again Become Inventors,
| Il have often wondered, your excel
lency." said 1. whether this great Chinese
brain which Invented gunpowder, printing
the mariners compass and other things
may not turn back to Invention again
The bringing In of our ideas and ciyiliZa
tion may stimulate it, and it may produce
! many new thirgs."
That may be So" was the reply. Some
| of your scientific men who have lived In
| China say that our people are great in,i
| tators. that we can copy anything, but
| that We cannot invent or originate Now
| that may be SO. but doubt It, The trou.
| Bile with us today Is that we have no In.
| centive to Inventions you have here III
| America We have no copyright laws anC
no patent laws. If a man writes booi
| he does not want to publish 1t, for an,
printer near by can get out an edition
and compete with him. If a man has al
idea for O labor-saving device he keep.
1t to himself or perhaps makes only one
| or two machines. II he tried to sell the
machines other men would copy them, ant
he would have no Drotect{op x,a 49,