New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-09-23
CHINA.
rcurs OF THE COUNTRY AND OF
rur nAnY LIFE OF THE PEOPLE

tNrrs little observes that wnie 'neiV ~.
,s,ry deep meanings signifed IN 'iie
..tan,nts In her book only 10 reoo'' .u,ot,
,srg" In nearly all her pages she ' a.o,,,,
Serself but she provides throue" ~" oer-
.ranre,entation Of the things she haS ,.x .bo
tain amount Of raw materiai 4i0 .osnec,
sS..sar NAV draw his own conclusions 800
se"u $3.50, character Sometimes she ooe'
'ne NV ~ her own. Thus she aoiiii''
-. 49, Cb,naman lies with marvellous ea
/ o.s,s,ence but she holds FAR nloie 20" -,
-, tn, ~ his general honesty thah 10 -
-, o+ber writer's THAT crime IL h'' W.
~s,a IN china" she says. 'is suiiiciei'i' 800
-, chair having no police force 'oie'e c,,..
on..trnes shocked by the seVeri'y "a ,
,n,nishments, not realizing 'ha' =. - - sco1e
,.rt nolice that enable US TO mitie"e ~ -
.,,sh,,ents But the Chinese are ike women
a, this respect also. They anoro an
a,nariIv small percentage or crlininais "
voylA's criminal roll and OF these inc i"0't
sra fcr petty theft. In business oeaHne'' -,
Che Japanese, the Chinese keep " '''
even when II IS TO their olsaoVait"ee ~,
.na merely SAYING 'Puttee book without any
Anu 80 soo,ed written entry, held good as a
20, .rorssction all through China, ILL., aias'
IA established English firm, prooaoly d"
- @orehoding the failure that alter"oiu
| ..,o,roed Il repudiated a ransacVo" 20
,.,.,, .borA was no further record than 'he 'i''
,.,a- .,,o sacred words Since then the Chihe'e'
,n,o o+ber nations have recourse 10 winch
documents; but so high always Is 'he ee"se
,u,iness obligation among them th"t -,
Cb,na New Year many men uhaoie ~
charge their obligations commit sui0'u'
than live disgraced c.,,o
II is plain that Mrs. Little resaros "e -
With sympathy, and avoids nasty eeHeia'-
.ions She is willing to give the oflen.aI
,,aricator his due. Yet she II constralieu - a."
,r,, that the official corruption Whlch mas 'eo,
",.,oa 90 often in such sinister colors cannot
he explained away, and she deserves 80.
.ho+ show with startling vivdness the seem
.'o ,.orad,cabla moral weakness Of the ma
49,, Mentioning the absence Of sanitation III
1,o,irg she notes that there are drains anCleh'
s.o,re but the annual official inspection OF the'"
,o,rts n nothing and the great city remains
a.. -, unsneaksblv unhealthy state IL Is a Ia"u
-, CHAINS and middlemen, she declares anu
.,n+s ont that the provincial official who Is MIN
ealf hled by those above him naturdhE i7C0"f
himself as best he may, so that the oH"'"
aisbonestv is endless. II his own roaos are -
. had state he consoles himself with the Ieiel
,,on that the roads Of Picking are nuch "0iee
,rx.o,,,hou4 the country. she AIDES, since the
,rcoroing Of the Manchu dynasty II mas oe'"
enc deliberate official intention to neglect ''e
,oeds thus making it the more dlfhcuit 10 INV
-sonle 10 assemble together and revolt aeai"s'
,heir alien rulers" Another frghttu eAaihPie
<or the provincial Governor Is the 1euHe "
yaren the office created of late years III olu
90 transact business with European Ha1io''
Tspng-u Yamen sounds well but the pu'iui"e
Is n dirty dilapidated shed, that might pa''
,,,,,ster for a cdAvhouse on an English gentle
ad Y
.a, Tho wretched character Of this bulloihe
,,..os .he contempt in which the Chinese
Mold the foreigner, but the latter. IN the person
a.. r,,+,n returns the compliment by OBJ
.orz,ne that "there is no hope for China under
,ba present dynasty" If the reader Judges lro"
oa ~ her anecdotes the fault lies deeper thar
che court. going down 10 the very roots OF 'nt
Chinese character. We may cite one OF lle''
revelations OF native ineptitude as foAo"s'
.'The German officer who had been actns al
reneral at Woosung. close TO Shanghai up -
the spring Of 1898, gave most amusing thouen
somewhat disheartening. account OF MS hahulne
over his command. The Chinese did not want u
have German officers any more so Il Oliiiie''
General was to take command. And hrst ne ol0
NOT arrive although the men were all Drawn VI
nnder arms waiting for him. because ne nae
suddenly found out II was an unlucKy cay -
ne had had his boats mOoreu UP d OleVh ''''
n.as ouiet,v waiting there The German wa
indignant. and required him once more 10 IL
mis- dav. A sunday was appointed, and tn
German sent TO inform him that all the mel
would again he drawn up. and that when n
raw the Chinese General riding Forward IL
would give the order. Shoulder arms! Presen
arms and then the command would be eiVel
over But surely I am not expected TO ride?
cannot possibly ride replied the Chinese Gen
eraI. The German persisted he must ride. 5
on the appointed day there appeared the Chimes
General huddled on to a very small pony. wit
Two men holding H. one on each side. and
third holding an umbrella him, for 1t wa
raining hard. He at once shouted out his wor
Of command but as the previous order had nc
teen given. It could rot be followed. The Ger
man tried TO explain this. on said the Chimes
General I cannot believe It does any one an
good 10 be kept out in rein Ike this. Just te
the men they can 20 away. This will do for e
dav' So the men dispersed end the Germa
cavalry officer f4t that there vas the end Of h
efforts for many years to uphold discipline"
Mrs. Little ascribes the disastrous position
China in The war with Japan to the evil inh'
ence Of the Empress TIE Hsi and Ii Hur
Chang upon the army. but a story like that ju
quoted shows how the decentralization mu
have spread from many sources; In fact fro
three -fourths Of the official staff. II is pleasa
% turn from such considerations as these, fro
the cruelty Of foot binding among Chine
women and from the rough manners that cha
ncterize family life in a large proportion OF I
lower classes. 10 things indicative Of enlighte
Jnent and gentle feeling. The Chinese are n
usually believed to have much If any sentimel
but II was Chinaman who, on hearing of I
death OF the woman who was 10 marry a CO
man friend Of his, wrote the following verses:
The wild prunes blossom. red and white.
In wintry air
Heavy with orange, in sunlight
The groves are fair.
The pearl-like river. silent. sure.
Gldes TO the sea: