The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-20
A CHINESE ORATOR.

Hon. WI Ting Fang. the Chinese minister
ton as a special occasion orator and grace
full speaker that may cause Ambassador
Choate to look to his laurels. The diplo-
matte traditions Of most countries forbid
their ministers and ambassadors from
making speeches or addresses in the coun-
tries to which they are accredited. Whether
this is lest they should commit some diplo-
matte indiscretion or for fear it may be dis
covered that(the are no wiser than ordi-
nary mortals is not known, but it is the
general rule. The two conspicuous excep-
tions the United States. and, latterly.
China. For years past the American am
bassador to Great Britain has been selected
partly with reference to his oratorical
gifts, and the British people give him fire.
quent opportunities to exercise them. The
present Chinese minister seems to be fol-
lowing the same line. He has made more
speeches since he came to the United
States than the ministers of all other coun-
tries combined, and it is doubtful If there is
another one in the entire list who could
make as good speech in English as Hon.
WI Ting Fang does. Within a few weeks
he has delivered an address before a large
public audience which has challenged adj
miration by it's broad and charitable views
and subtle philosophy; another before
commercial body that evinced profound
knowledge of the laws of trade and finance
and the principles of commercial expan-
sion. and now he has delivered an address
to the graduating class of the Woman's
Medical College In Philadelphia which
shows him to be close student of Amer
lean ideas and customs and a man of broad
and progressive views. In this address he
admitted at the outset, in few graceful
and half-humorous sentences. that 1t was
partly curiosity that induced him to accept
the invitation to speak. He had met Amer
lean woman doctors as we'll as woman law
yers and woman journalists but he did not
know before that there was such a thing as
an institution devoted exclusively to the
education OF woman doctors When he
found himself on platform addressing
class of twenty-six young women grad
yates he realized the fact. Continuing, he
said:
The question Of professional training for
women Is different from that of higher ed
ucation- Very few, i think. will dispute
now that II Is a good thing TO give women
all the educational advantages hitherto en-
| joyed by men. But / fear that there is a
| diversity or opinion as TO the wisdom of
| opening TO women all the professions hith-
erto confined exclusively TO men, Having
| appropriated so long all business and pro-
| fessional pursuits as an appanage to the
manhood estate. men naturally cannot be
| expected TO view the invasion of their
sphere OF influence as Ii were. by women
| with complacency. / am glad that
women in this country have gained such a
strong position in the Eiedical profession
| that they can hardly now be dislodged- In
many respects medicine, of all the profess
| sions, seems TO be most suited for women,
especially certain branches of il, such as
| obstetrics. gynecology and the like. You
| observe from this that the men in China
| recognize the principle that some things
| can be much better done by women. and
| have the good sense TO Yield TO the neces-
| sity of the situation i wish / could say
| this much OF the men In America. For
am not a little surprised TO learn that for
| all the boast of Anglo-Saxon fairness and
| chivalry. medical women have had a hard
| time In fighting their way against strong
| ton and professional standing.
For a heather Chinee this is In good
form. and read between the lines it shows
more sympathy with modern progressive
| ideas than many Christians posssss- From
! this Nr. WI Ting Fang went On to speak