New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-09
CHINA AND AMERICA.
RELATIONS OF THE TWO NATIONS
TREATED BY MINISTER WI
TING FANG.
ADDRESS BEFORE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF Po-
LrTIcAL AND SOCIAL scIENCE-INTEREsT1No
CoMPARIsONs-oTHER SPEAKERS AT

L1TICA11 AND SOCIAL SCIENCE-iNIbfSfSi h'"
CoMPARIsoNs-oTHER SPEAKERS AT
TIE SESSIONS IN PHILADELPHIA.
Philadelphia April (SpeciaD.-At the closing
session OF the third annual meeting OF tho Ameri-
Academy OF Political and Social Science THIS
evening the speaker in whom tho most interest
was shown WI Ting Fang. Chinese Minister
this country. The meeting was In tho New
Century Club and DR.. Charles Gusts Harrison
provost OF the University OF Pennsylvania, whose
guest the Chinese Minister was, presided
The theme for discussion 1.-THE Political Re-
lations OF the United States with the Far East
The Introductory address was by Professor John
Bassett Moore. of Columbia University, upon inc
Policy OF the United States IN the Far East
The topic assigned TO Minister WI Ting Fang
"Chna's Relations with the West In the
course OF his address he said:
The different nations in the West have, within
the present century. advanced so much In science
knowledge and wealth that 1t has become the iash-
ion to speak OF them as the most civilized nations
on the face Of the earth. and To consider the ma
lions in the East as much below them In ciyiliza-
tion-in fact, barbarous or semi-civiized III mas
been too much tho habit TO ignore the good points
the Eastern nations possess and to leave out OF
account what they have done Ihis Is haroy Juss's
The East also has civilization OF It's own or
that civilization China is the chief exponent.
Among Its achievements may he mentioned ths
invention OF the mariners compass. gunpowder ana
printing II is not a civilization OF mushroom
growth. There Is not a nation standing to-day
that can trace its history as far back as China.
She has witnessed the rise and fall OF the ancient
Egyptian dynasties, the expansion of the Persian
Empire the conQuestH OF Alexander the Irresistible
advance OF the Roman legion the deluge OF Teu-
tonic hordes from the north the dissolution OF the
empire OF Charlemagne. and tho birth OF all the
modern nations Of Europe.
During the forty centuries OF her existence there
have gradually grown up institutions and laws
adapted to the needs and character of the people,
literature az extensive and varied as that OF an
cient and modern Europe 4 system OF morality
world has ever produced. and those useful arts
that have never ceased TO excite the wonder and
Persia. Greece and even mighty Rome have sue
cessively succumbed to the ravages of time. while
seek. II is the survival OF the fttest The working
OF this MEMORABLE law OF nature constantly weeds
out those nations that cannot adapt themselves 10
the ever-changing conditions OF life. and the fact
that China is standing to-day shows conclusivey
that she has not outlived her usefulness TO the
cause OF civilization.
CHANGED CONDITIONS IN CHINA.
Thus Chinese civilization has been weighed in the
balance Of time and not found wanting. But the
conditions that have fostered that civilization have
in recent 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 and south China was a country extremely
difficult TO approach from all sides IN DAYS not very
long ago. There she was left for centuries to work
out her destiny practically free from OUTSIDE nilu-
ence and foreign molestation
But the steamboat and telegraph have changed
the whole situation OF things and rendered 1t i'm
could before. 1t has taken her some time TO awake
TO this fact. On this account she has been called an
Tennyson when he says Better fifty years OF
Europe than a cycle OF Cathay.
But II is mistake TO think that China has been
stationary Compare China Of the present day
with China Of fifty years ago. and the progress
reasonable to expect China to break away from
the long-established sway of custom In moment.
The meeting OF the Chinese and Western civiza-
tons Is meeting Of two social forces. We must
ton of one force by the other but In the union of
the two forces 1t is the recovery from the shock
nf the 1Iigiol fhaf limo tor he
Of the forces is effected movement In the resultant
direction may be expected TO be rapid
Now, the population Of the United States IL esti-
mated AT 100000 and the population Of China Is
estimated al from 35ooWcoo to 100000, or about
five times as large. We should expect, therefore.
that social political movement which would
stir up the whole people OF the United States
would other conditions being equal. produce only
one-ffth as much effect upon the people OF China.
But in order to obtain the same effect in Cnina as
as great or il the force he the same, the time it
is allowed 10 act must be five times az long. Thus
for the apparently slow progress OF the Chinese
nation We have a scientific explanation.
TELEGRAPHs AND RAILROADS INTRODUCED
Though China may not have made very rapid
progress from Western point of view in times
Indicative OF a general awakening among the peO-
pie. We have already established a system Of tee-
OF China and a message can be sent from one
thousand miles in the interior to the furthest sea-
was introduced in the North Of China fourteen
years ago, and ] had the honor Of being one OF
company. Since then 1t has been extended in dlf-
ferent directions. \ Journey from Tienstin to Pc
king. which by boat would have taken three or four
days few years ago can be accomplished now In
9T NV hins Tid nsbed forward and in
tho future n traveller from the extreme South
to Pekng in fortyeght hours The same is true Of
water communication. We have steamers plying
along the coast of China and steamboats, Of light
draught are seen on most Of the navigabe rivers.
The most important questions with which the Chi
nese Government has TO deal arise from tho spirit
fortunately, most OF the troubles occurring in China
have arisen from riots against missionaries. Hence
Il has been said by some foreigners in China that
without missionaries. China would have no foreign
complications. am not in n position to affirm or
deny this
SUPPOSE CHINESE MISSIONARIES CAME HERE
But let US put the shoe on the other foot. and
suppose that Confucian missionaries sent by
the Chinese to foreign lands with the avowed pur-
pose OF gaining prosclytes and that these mission
aries established themselves in NeN-York. Phila-
delpha, San Francisco and other cities. and that
they built temples. held public meetings and opened
schools. 1t would not be strange II they should
gather around them a crowd or men, women and
children of all classes and conditions II they
TO begin their work by making vehement attacks
cherished institutions OF the country or going out
and perhaps giving learned discourse on the evil
effects of corsets upon the general health OF Amer
lean women. IT is most likely that they would be
pelted with stones dirt and rotten eggs for their
What would he the consequence n, instead OF
philosophically, they should lose their temper call
In the aid OF the police. and report the case TO the
Government at Washington for official interference?
verify believe that such action would render the
missionaries so obnoxious TO the American people
as to put end to their usefulness. and that the
American Government would cause n law 10 be
enacted against them as public nuisances Can IT
be wondered at, then, that now and then we hear
OF riots occurring against missionaries in China.
Notwithstanding the precautionary measures taken
by the local authorities 10 protect them? II must
not be understood that wish to Justify or extern
uate the lawless acts committed by ignorant mobs
do underestimate the noble and unse1sh cf-
forts OF Christian missionaries I'm general who spend
the best part OF their lives I'm China. What desire
to point out is that the preaching Of the Gospel
OF Christ in the interior OF China Except with great
tact and dlscretion) will. I'm the nature OF things
now and then run counter 10 popular prejudice and
lead 10 some disturbance.
INFLUENCE OF CoMMERCIALISM.
The spirit Of commercialism has tely risen 10 n
dangerous pitch Az market for the worlds
goods China indsputably holds tho first place for
tho wants NJ 25o n0O no IN Ao oo OD neone bavo q,