Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-06-11
HOW TO WIN IN CHINA.
Interesting Talk From Minister
WI Ting Fang.
HINTS FOR AMERICAN ooEsULs.
Famous Celestial Claims They Ought
to BE Peculiarly Fitted For Their
Work, Therefore He Believes the
Chinese Language Should BE
Taught In American Cniyersitfea.

| Chinese Language Should BE
Taught In American UniversitfeA.
/ Minister WI Ting Fang in Ainslee's
for June writes very Interesting arti-
Gle on American trade chances in Chi
ma and how they are to be developed.
He says in part: 1T is of the greatest
| importance that America should sus-
, tain the friendliest relations with Chi
ma and the Chinese people. There is an
| opportunity TO develop the consular
! service. Thus far the American diplo-
| matte and consular offices in China
have done wonderfully well, although
| they have labored under disadvan-
| tages. The men who go to China as
consuls ought to be peculiarly fitted for
their work. 1t would help them a good
deal if they were able to understand
something of the language of the peo-
| pie. 1t is not right that American con-
| suls be compelled to employ Chinese in
terpreters, as is now the case. They
ought TO have their own men, people Of
their own nation. 1t would be to their
interest. The American consular serv-
ice now does not hold out sufficient in
ducemen1s for the right kind of men in
China. Americans ought to be encour-
aged to enter the service and, having
entered, to remain there.
1T requires a peculiar kind of men to
succeed. Young men ought to be sent
to China who would like to learn the
language and who could look forward
to a long period of service after they
had once fitted themselves for il. In
England, at oxford and Cambridge,
Chinese TlTnfaGCnrS RI
elementary training. Young men go
out from there into the consular, diplo-
matte or merchant service, and what
they have learned at the universities
they supplement in the service. They
have enthusiasm because they realize
that If they do good work they can find
for themselves a career. l appreciate
the fact that this is 4 democratic form
of government and that II may not be
easy to bring about the change which 1
suggest. 1t is difficult to secure the
necessary legislation, but / am sure
that in view Of the constantly increas-
ing Importance OF the American COM
mercial and political position in China
it would be OF inestimable advantage if
the consular service there could be
marked by permanency of tenure and
adequacy of training. Merit should be
rewarded by promotion, as is the rule
now with most of the European gov
ernments which send young men to the
east to learn the language and study
the customs of the country.
The English speaking people have a
great advantage in China now because
their language is popular in Asia and
because II Is more commonly used than
any other foreign tongue. 1t is pity
that this advantage cannot be followed
up by making the language still more
adaptable to the needs of the natives OF
the country. The present popularity Is
due to circumstances. The English
controlled India. Their language was
spoken there and in all the British colo
mics, and when the English found their
way into China ahead of other Europe
an nations they brought their language
with them. But II is not an easy
tongue TO learn. The Chinese people
are not slow in learning, but it does not
seem right that unnecessary obstacles
should be placed in their path.
81 am not partial to the English Ian
guage, but 1t has evidently come to
stay, and it may already be called the
all the treaty ports and important CEN
tiers of the east IT holds a place in the
school and the counting house which
no other language can claim. 1t is
spoken in the streets Of Shanghai, II is
taught in the schools of Yokohama,
and it has obtained such vogue that
merchants of all other nations resident
in the east make use of 1t in their bust
ness and in their families II there is
TO be an international language, ii will
be English, and therefore I say II ought
to be improved upon so as to facilitate
the learning of 1t and make it easier
for those who are not English born.
"a whole language cannot be sudden
ly reformed. Changes must be a mat
ter of slow growth. But there is one
respect in which Improvement can be
made without doing violence to the idi-
ON or the construction. This is in
spelling. If a phonetic spelling were
TO be adopted, 1t would be blessing to
those OF us with whom English has not
become a habit and who find ourselves
continually tripping and stumbling
over the words which do not sound as
they appear to the eye, and it would be
worth a little trouble for the people of
the United States to make the change.
Americans, find. accomplish many re-
suits by meeting together and discuss
Ing questions. Why would it not be
possible TO hold n great convention the
object OF which should be TO bring the
spelling of the English language more
closely in conformity with its sound?"