Evening star., 1898-07-23

:" closely in touch with
European and American habits of thought
than Ii Hung Chang himself. He speaks
the English language with a faultlessness
of accent and of idiom which many a ma
tive-born American might envy and which
is equaled by no other Chinese public man.
He is familiar with American and Euro
pean politics and business. He has. more
over. that delicate perception of local and
individual pecuiarities which has some
times been regarded as distinctiyely Ameri-
can. His wit IS pungent and delightful.
He can make as appropriate and effective
after-dinner speeches as Speaker Reed or
Chauncey NJ Depew. At the annual din
ner Of the Gridiron Club of Washington in
January all three were among the speak
ers. and although this was the first expert
ence of Minister WI in such affairs, he
thrust and parried with each and drew
blood as frequently either. He sat be-
tween the two on that occasion and both
Were charmed and fascinated with his
brflliancy and tact.
Minister WI was educated in England
and was the first Chinese gentleman who
ever became an English barrister He Wis
tied the United States in 1877 and then re-
turned TO Hong Kong, where he established
himself a barrister. After six years of
practice he was appointed legal adviser to
Ii HuHg Cnang and deputy for foreign af-
fairs in Tientsin- 1t was his great distinc-
ton, too, to have built the first railway in
China. having been the promoter and first
chief director of the Kai Ping Railway
company He was first secretary of en-
,basSy in the peace mission to japan in 1895
and was plenipotentiary for the purpose of
exchanging ratihcatons for the treaty of
peace. In the meantime he had been ap-
pointed chief director of the Tientsin Uni
.versity. which was esta ablished in 1885. In
1887 he was appointed TO his present post
He is accredited as envoy extraordinary
nfar7 tiar C,,I,-
government of the United States but also
10 Spain and Peru. He resides the greater
part OF the year in Washington and directs
from here the affairs of the legations at
Madrid and Lima. The wife of Minister
w Is a woman of rare intelligence who
ike him. has made a study of the English
l!ansuage His children bright young
,sters VINO nave their English governess and
who play up and down the halls of the le-
cation with the abandon and boIsterous-
ness OF American boys. Altogether this
,thlnese gentleman is a striking Illustration
,oI the saving that man of the world is
man OF the world everywhere no less in
..Sekln than In Washington. and 1t was with
an appreciation Of his breadth of mind and
cosmopolitan temper that a writer for The
Star sought him out for talk on the sub
Jects which just now direct the thoughts
q American statesmen to the far east
Inc minister spoke freely. with due regard
TO the reserve required of him as the dinIo
matte representative of a country likely to
De Ntally interested in the extension of
~ 4eci4l lIll4ItHCS IN the Pacific. As a
SHihese statesman he naturally looks with
heehest interest upon the part in oriental
politics which America seems likely to
play.
\ Field for American Enterprise
The prospects for the extension of
American trade with China are excellent
Just at the present time" was Minister
Nus first remark. as he looked up from
the perusal of a congressional report sThe
material amir Of ~
beginning and the volume of foreign trade
ana on domestic improvements, which will
Sepend largely on foreign enterprise is
pound 10 increase with wonderful rapidity
10r the next few decades. The preiudice Of
ihe habitants of China against the build
ing OF railroads, telegraphs and telephones
anu. may say, hundred other things
lhat would cause her to lose step in the
march of modern civfliza ton is finally dis
appearing. Thus you can see at once what
a large Held IS opened for shrewd ener-
eeuc americans who know an advantage
When they see it, and are quick to grasp II
when presented. If the Chinese exclusion
act We're repealed by this or the next Con
Ego17id TS5 b 5ne ,}f people OF the United States
necessary to argue point like this: IL is a
self-eyident proposition"
Ihen there Is no prejudice against Amer
iCah BoOdS nor any preference for goods of
other nations to interfere with the ex-
pansion of trade with the Clited States?"
None whatever. so far as 1 am aware.
On the contrary certain staples produced
by the United States have almost the en-
tire field
Chinese Markets.
Take, for instance. kerosene OIL matches.
American flour and American cotton cloth
The trade in American flour Is simply i'm
mense f'o other country seems able to
cope with the United States in these ar
ticles with my people. The Chinese will
take anything which is cheap and good.
And IN this connection l may be pardoned
nope II l make suggestion: that the
manufacturers of the United States study
more closely the local wants of the peonie
OF CHINA There are many ways of doing
this one proposition that strikes INV
fancy strongly Is the one advanced recently
Dy the Philadelphia Museum. This institu-
ton has appointed commission of skilled
men 10 visit China and learn by actual OBJ
serVation the exact local wants of the peo-
pie Of course, my government will heart
ily welcome this commission and will give
them every opportunity for gaining the in
formation desired Having learned what is
most wanted by practical observation
American manufacturers will no longer do
business in the dark.
VIII Welcome Us.
IF they have the enterprise as they
surely will when they learn OF the oppor-
tunity, to seize upon this great field, their
rewards will be proportionately great.
China is ready to welcome the United
States as a peaceful neighbor and CONNER
2 en- Of the Chinese empire there Il, abeo-
luteiy 80 prejudice against America On
me contrary, there Is a strong desire for
the tri endship Of this great republic and
admiration for Yankee ingenuity ard in
Nenive genius is quite as pronounced there
as III any other part Of the world | repeat
what said at the beginning OF this inter
view. repeal the exclusion act which Will
restore tho good will that existed between
China and the United States previous TO
the adoption Of that act and the trade be
lWeeu the two countries will increase 20
enormous proportions.
W hat has China done, or what have
Chinese merchants done, TO encourage
trade with the United States?'
That is a difficult question for me "a
enswer. You Will understand however
that when a people are legislated against
as the natives of China have been. the
mercantile interests have not the opportu-
nlty or the zeal TO encourage trade as thew
would If conditions were different A na-
tion IS very much like an individual 4
man trades where he is best treated This