Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-28

unterureSS and long, slender, ariSt OcratfC
hands. On his head was black skull cap,
and upon it, just over the forehead, was a
round diamond pin big as a nickel set
with stones of the first water. His excel
lency shook hands, sat down beside me, and
the conversation began. We first talked
of Peru The Chinese minister to America
IS also minister to Peru, and his excellency
will make trip to South America about
the first Of the year. He is rather alarmed
about the climate. and was pleased to learn
that Lima IS as healthful as any part of
the celestial empire.
Philippines and Chinese Immi tsration
The next subject was the Philippines and
the prohibition of Chinese immigration by
Gen OTIS. 1 asked the minister what he
thought Of the decree He replied:
I think it is a mistake for the Ameri-
cans 10 endeavor to keep the Chinese out
or the Philippines. I mean a mistake from
the American standpoint not as It Will
affect China. hut as regards the develop
ment OF the islands The most of the labor
OF the far east is furnished by the Chinese
Ihey are the business people and the III
duStriai people of the orient. They furnish
the best labor and it is almost iInDossibIe
TO accomplish anything without them. The
English have learned this long ago. Take
the Island of Hong Kong. It has been
built mp by Chinese labor. Take the Straits
Settlements. the Chinese do the work of
Singapore and all that region, although the
population is made up of Maays The
-Iei4eiNS are however, unreliable. They
VIII work for a short time and then Law
OF Tor weeks. The chief business hOuSeS
or Singapore are owned by Chinese and
the English think so much of the Chinese
element there that there are Chinese in
the council Of the governors and tho Chi
nese have considerable to do with all pub
nc matters In Siam the Chinese form the
DesI working element of the population. and
IN the cities of Burmah nearly all the me-
chauicS are Chinese. | understand that tho
English in Hong Kong are much alarmed
about the possibilities of compatitior7 from
the philippines as to cotton factories This
however, is only in connection with the In.
production Of Chinese labor IN the PhiIip-
pines The natives cannot manage the
factories. and there will be no danger If
the Chinese are kept out 1t will H.. the
same with the DEVELOPMENT of tha .oLocno
Plah'atons. The Philippine Islands have
some Of the finest tobacco lands Of +ha
world They are far superior 20 those of
Suina;ra and Java. but ii will req IRE chit
ntSe labor 20 work them. I think thar the
matter Of sclf-interest will eventually slow
your people that they cannot get ALONG
without the Chinese in the Philippines"
China's New Railroads,
next asked his excellency something
ABOUT the new railroads of China. He is
DIV Tar the best-posted man on the subject
outside the celestial empire He was CON
IItSted with the railroads of north China
p-tuiy ne came here. He has Travelled an
over In" country and knows All oho,,+ ~
Possibilities. Said he: JUL the
mere is no land where railroads will
=! IT,ttr than IN China. We have a vast
population We have cities Of aror,,H rs.
sizt situated only few miles apart ami
villages innumerable. We are a great bnsi
ness people and our local trad l. 80
nous ioday the most Of our manufac
lures and agricultural products are car
RED from place TO place on the water on
the backs of men or in carts. In the fu
turt the greater part OF them will go bv
Itt4L ne Chinese Will
economy Of railroad transportation and the
roads will be well patronIzed.'
HOW do the roads now in operation
pay" l asked.
some OF them are paying enormous
o!Nldends, replied the Chinese minister
Take the road from Tien Tsin to Shan
fal kwan- This was the first railroad of
any length in China. l was one of the
builders. We could not get the imperial
sanction to ii at first and we had TO oper-
AZ Slowly. Ii Hung Chang was at the
ht3G OF the movement and we built the line
mile by mile, feeling our way. until we
connected the great Kaiping coal mines
with Iien Tsin and finally pushed the road
on 10 the Chinese wall and the sea a shan
Hal k%an- That road now has an enor-
nous business and II pays, / venture some
thinS Ike loo per cent. We have factories
al h3 is where We make our own cars
anu locomotives. We have Chinese en-
gineers, brakesmen and conductors and
the work IN the machine shops is done bI,
Shihess. l cant describe the trouble we
mad IN getting the people to allow us 10
build the road Even after we had the i'm
perial sanction We We're held back nv nubIic
opinion The labor organizations were
against us and we had to move very can
tously- You see the labor unions are very
strong in China. The general idea is thai
the country is an absolute monarchy The
truth Is that II is as democratic almost as
the United States, and the words 'Vox
popuH, vox Del have almost as much
weight"
The Railroad to Picking
There is now railroad from Tien Tsin
TO Picking. Is there not 1 asked
Yes" replied the Chinese minister. L de-