The morning news., 1899-04-09
CHINA AND HER CIVILIZATION.
MINISTER WI TING-FANG ABLY
PRESENTS THE SUBJECT.

Forces Were Needed to EnIightem
Her-Her Relations with the West
Discusscd-Reason why There Are
Missionary Riots-ExecutiVe Coun-
ell Elected by the Academy of Po-
IiticnI Science.
Philadelphia. April s.-The third session
of the Academy was held this afternoon
with Prof. Roland p. Falkner of the Uni
versity Of Pennsylvania in the chair. This
subject discussed was "Our Commercial
Relations with the Far East"
Addresses were made by Worthington G.
Ford, former chief OF the bureau Of statls-
tics, United States treasury department..
and Robert r. TIil United States geologi-
cal survey.
The executive council of the Academy
was elected to-day with the following Of
| hcers:
Prof, f. j James, University Of Chi
cago, president; Prof. S. NJ. Lindsay. uni-
versity of Pennsylvania, first vice presi-
| dent; Prof i. n. Gedding, Columbia Jni-
| yersity second vice president; Woodrow
| Wilson, Princeton University, third Vice
| president; Stuart Wood. Philadelphia,
treasurer; Prof. Henry Il. Seager, Uni-
| versity of Pennsylvania, corresponding
| secretary; Clinton Rogers Woodruff, Phil
adelphia, recording secretary; Prof ]. c.
! Adams, University of Pennsylvania. gem
eral secretary; Prof John l.. stuart Lee
| high University, librarian
| The Council adopted a resolution empow-
erng the executive committee to erect, I'M
| this city, a building to he used for publi-
Gallon and library purposes by the acad-
| emy.
| Az the night session. Charles Custls Har-
| rlson provost of the University of PENN
sylvana occupied the chair The prlnci-
| pal address was delivered by WI Ting
| Fang. Chinese minister to the United
States, vino spoke on the subject of "Chi-
mas Relation With the West"
Chinese Minister Speaks.
Hon. John Bassett Moore, professor oE
| International law at Columbia University
| made the Introductory address. on "Ths
Policy of tho United States In the Far
| East"
The Chinese minister followed. He said
IN part:
We have all read about the dispute be-
tween two ancient knights over a shield.
one claiming 1t to be gold and the other
claiming it to be silver. The story Is an
Old one, but the lesson It teaches Is worth
4 remembering. II Is the failure to look at
the other side Of the shield that has given
rise TO all the misunderstanding In the in
tercourse between the East and the West.
The different nations in The West have,
| within the present century advanced so
much In science, knowledge and wealth
| that II has become the fashion to speak
| OF them as the most civilized nations on
the face of the earth and 70 consider the
! nations In the East as much below them i'm
| clviiza tlon--ln fact, as barbarous or semi
| civilized. II has been too much the habe
TO ignore the good points the Eastern ma
tlons possess, and TO leave out of accoung
what they have done This Is hardly just.
| The East also has a civilization OF its own.
or that civilization, China Is the chief ex-
| ponent. Among its achievements may ba
mentioned the invention Of the mariners
compass, gunpowder and printing. II ~
| not a civilization of mushroom growth.
| There Is not nation standing today
Chinese History Ancient.
that can trace its history as far back az
| China. She has witnessed the rise and fall
Of the ancient Egyptian dynasties; the ex-
panslon of the Persia2 empire; the cons
| quests of Alexander; Nhe Irresistible adj
| vance OF the Roman legion; the deluga
| OF Teutonic hordes from the North; the
dissolution of the empire of Charlemagne.
| and the birth of all the modern nations
| of Europe. During the forty centuries
of her existence there have gradually
| grown up institutions and laws adapted
| 90 the needs and character OF the people;
| literature as extensive and varied 40
| that of ancient and modern Europe: m
system Of morality that can challenges
comparison with any other the world has
ever produced; and those useful arts thar
have never ceased to excite wonder and
admiration of the world. You may asld
| why Egypt, Persia. Greece and even
| mighty Rome have successfully suc-
| cumbed TO the ravages OF time, willis
China alone has survived. The answer q
not far to seek. II Is the survival OF the
hltest. The working of this lnexorable
law of nature constantly weeds out thosa
nations that cannot adapt themselves to
the ever-changing conditions OF life, and
| the fact that China Is standing to-day
shows concluslvely that she has not out-
lived her usefulness to the cause of civi.l-
zation.
Chinese Civilization.
Thus Chinese civilization has been
4 weighed IN the balance of time and not
| found wanting. But the conditions that
have fostered that civilization have In re-
cent years been greatly modified by steam
! and electricity With the Himalayas on
! the west, vast deserts on the north and
large bodies OF water on the east ana
south, China was country extremely diff
lcult TO approach from all sides In days
not very long ago. There she was left
for centuries TO work out her destiny prac-
tically free from outside influence and
foreign molestation. But the steamboat
and telegraph have changed the whole
situation Of things, and rendered II i'm
| possible for her 10 lead such national
| life as she could before. It has taken her
some time 10 awake to this fact On this
account she has been called an unprogres-
| sive nation This sentiment Is voiced bv
| TennysOn when he says: Better fifty
years OF Europe than a cycle Of Cathay''
But II Is a mistake TO think that China
has been stationary. Compare China OF
the present day with China Of fifty years
ago and the progress she has made will
be at once apparent There Is a WE'LL
known law In physics that when a body
Is at rest or in motion II will remain at
| rest or continue TO move In a straight line
| unless acted upon by some outside force
| This law holds good I'm the political as well
as IN the physical world. It is unreason-
able to expect China to break away from
| the long-esta blshed sway of custom In a
| moment. The inertia OF centuries must
/ first be overcome. The meeting of tho
| Chinese and Western civfIizatfone A. n