The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-17
FOR A PEKIN INSTITUTE.
4 UNIQUE PLAN TO ROUSE oHINI's
UPPER GLASSES.
thu Door, or IN, Eupiro 20 Trade and
Progress aud vVould Dinuso Nineteenth
r..,,.- -. ,...,~ tha DNnndnrtun.

me New. Gilbert Reid says IL Wouie Opeh Wiue
tho Doorn or the Enpiro 10 Trade ana
Progress aud wouid Dinuso Ntneteenth
Century Lirht AmonE the Mnndarins.
A man recently arrived in this city from
China who has n noteworthy and unique scheme
under way. Io Is tho Rev. Gilbert Reid, a mis-
honary among the better classes In the Flowery
Kingdom.
Mr.. Reid has been quito conspicuous for
several years, for his has been o mission OF en-
lightonnent rather than evansonSatlon. ana THIS
fact has created for him a unique position not
only among Missionaries sent out To china
under tho auspices of Foreign Mission boards,
but also among tho Chinese themselves. HIS
scheme Is to establish an international insti'
tute in China TO be known as the International
Institute OF China, and he wants the American
people to help him carry II out He viii not
beg for money, for he cut loose from mission
boards three years ngo and 80 does not propose
to beg In Sunday schools, churches, Epworth
Leagues, Christian Endeavor societies and such
organizations after tho custom OF the usual re-
turned missionary in need Of funds. What he
does propose 20. do is to appeal to rich indi-
viduals for tho money to build this institute.
Mr.. Heid~ arrived hero last week from San
Francisco, where he landed a month ago. When
asked TO tell about his new enterprise he said:
"This proposed International Institute Of
Nhiho Ia W ouIpAS Tx ililbsiLB llllh nv
mandarins Of that country and foreign mcr-
chants and between tho mandarins and tho
missionaries. At the same time ! wish 1t dis
tinC,ly understood that ] am not starting a hong,
as we say over there, or n syndicate, or building
q church. Any ono who wants to buy mer-
ohandise can go to the traders and any ono who
wants to be baptized can 60 TO the missionaries
! am trying to help them all, from the man
highest In the official life of China to his oweSt
subject, tne missionaries, INC lOreikn merchants,
everybody.
Il worked as a missionary ten years under
the Pre- ,~byterian Board, and soon after ] went
out my interest In the higher classes Of China
was aroused. 1t began when | found 1t neces-
Bary to help our missionaries In securing prop
erty protection and redress for injury and dam
ages suffered in a number of riots. Experience
for that kind of work, but when the riots
stopped l ceased to be y missionary lawyer and
since have Interested mysclf in this educational
"a. the end Of ten years I came home on .
Tor mo to return l brought things 70 a iocus.fo I
knew my mission was among the higher classes.
asked the members Of the board II they pre-
ferred l should do this special work under tho
board or independently. They said in sub
stance that II I wanted to do such work / had
better 40 II Independently, for it was not work
that the Church, as such, could carry ont legiu-
matcly. 81 l launched my little canoe, and it
years / have been doing this special work
among the hislrcaste Chinese, and during these
years my work has not been under he direc-
" "S HS'S '''S lHV "oI9
~ harmony with the varying conditions, and
Iye had to send no cab;eErsp7 to New York
all right, but mission boards well, to say tho
lei. ihcy hamper ono i)sarfu!ly. Being thus
Independent OF any one Church or coed, ] do
cided not to mako mine a mission TO evan.
EeiiEe and proselytize the Chinese, which Is
the legitimate work of the r.,urches. bat 10
make 1t u mission OF enlightenment Ia which
al classes OF Chinese and foreigners could
be Interested, and by which all could DO bene-
This brings US Town to the work or plan Of
this International institute. Il appears to a
It 1!fers from almost every other institutional
WORK l know Of any Th.' 8 !" Lne Moiid: and yet
common TO the better lite Of every city In
Europe or America. The Institute wifi DO
centred in Pekin, because TINT is the political
what IS done through i. with. the leading
classes, will affect the influential men every.
"" "6Do n t1 ne igSa@ VIII he a public library. with
foreign and Chinese books arranged with the
libraries in his country, and this viii s"rvc as a
moiel to the Chinese, Theirs is not a public
o oSssFS but TT the, ihs f sgaah Very y1 iew. haze Xao q '%T s smrIi
ing viii be used az II museum or exhibit hail.
where we shat! co!loct The apparatus, smaller
Chinese the results Of our Western sk:iI1 and
iinneus minia'nrs exposition. Thiis, viii afori
tho hrs; o3pportunity 10 the merchants OF Amer
ica and Europe for getting their meroh.:,dtse
Chinese. simply stand aud open tho door and
tell the American merchants TO wax in.
The main building win comprise the Offices
ana RECEPTION rouu,s for entertaining The in.
~telligent Chinese and tho various classes OF
Foreigners who desire 10 make thor acIUaint.
anCc. The better class OF Chinese arc very so,
ciS,!e IN their habits and enjoy conversation,
especially at tue round table. Then there will
be, class rooms in t..is building. not for techni'
cal training such as universities give, hut for
grown men, already in official life but desiroui
OF knuwi4S moro OF what other countries are
doing and what they themselves ought to do
The main feature OF this main building, how,
i, evgr Is to be The largo auditorium seating
the Empire where the people can come together
at public leUtures and entertainments All o:
those thlrss in fact are entirely new. not only
pubi1c Libraries. no museums, no reception
rooms tastefu!ly furnished, no large hall
i, where the educated Chinese can meet and nc
such class rooms for such II class OF people,"
~ hHT are your prosI,ects 81 SUGGEST
. the mon We want to reach" answered MIR
Reid. lit IL inevitable that they and thcil
ooinrades viii he more eager Than over to CONC
around when We have something more 10 a.
tract them than our individual selves. Merely
b! ny own individual effort | have made III,
acquaintance of more than 400 niaudarinS. il
10 certain, as | have been able 20 accomplish
thtT ~ my unattracttNe manner alone, ,thti
kinds OF modern equipment, We, shall SWEEP
into the line q progress Tho whole mass oI
Chinese oticialdom, however exclusive and con
serxative II may DO at The present time.
These buildings are not yet erected and the
none! Is not YET secured. But the IrSt I'M
rortant beginning has been made by obt4iniua
the official sanction OF the Chinese Government
this is the first time In the whole history Of
China that any such sanction has been given I,
q foreign scheme under foreign auspices along
lines OF progress. I've secured tho concession
and sam now trying to start the syndicate
Most OF our rountryinen who have gone there
have first started a syndicate. and then tried i,
got u concession. In. many cnses they hay,
spent thousands and failed: hut | determine
I before approached the public for money LhuI
j would get my backing.
III Hung Chang. who is one of my bcsr
friends, gave mt "A very tlnu testimonial TO thu
American public under ti. own seal and indi.
Gated his willingness u help Inc financially a
soon Hs the scheme should give suro signs o
realization, We have n very good advisory
, council aud an excellent local committed II
Shanghai, composed OF Americans. English
French. Germans, and Dutch, and in time ",
expect to put on some ChIyHc. Although III,
Chinese have contributed largely fnancially
having given $4,000, they have made no de
, MAIDS TO hu represented in the council. or OF
tho committees. They have faith enough II
mo to believe that ] Will not ahacund with thci>
; funds. The foreign merchants, as well as ms
Sipnariaa resilient in thirn haVp come foruarf