The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-23
THE chinese PROBLEM
Justice Brewers Address Before
the Congregational Club.
The Oriental Question the Most
Difficult One the World Has Been
Bound to Enter the Rcalm-HOxcr
Lenders Should BE Punished.


held its autumn meeting last evening in
the church parlors of the First Congrega-
tionaI Church. corner of Tenth and G
Streets northwest Justice Brewer, the Act
ing President. occupying the chair. AT the
election of officers, which took place i'm
mediately after order had been called, Jus
tice Brewer was elected President, to sue
coed Dr. Hinkley, who recently resigned
from that office. Merrill E. Gates was
elected Vice President; G. A. L. Merrifeld,
Secretary, and Alfred Wood, Treasurer.
After the business of the club, which was
entirely routine, had been disposed of, din
ner was served by the ladies of the church.
After dinner Justice Brewer announced
the programme for the evening. He first
introduced, with short and humorous
speech. Miss Edna Mead Smith and Walter
Humphreys, who rendered a duett accom-
panied on the piano by Prof. Bischoff. At
ter the applause had subsidized Justice
Brewer made an address on the present
condition of affairs in China. He said, in
part:
The attention of the civilized world has
never been SO much monopolized as it is
a. the present time by the troubles in
China. And / think China presents one
of the most difficult problems 1t has fallen
to the lot of civilized nations to solve.
1t is grave question indeed. There are
as many Cinnamon as there are members
of other civilized nations taken Alto
gether. They are a homogeneous mass of
400, 600 people under one ruler and in
one domain. They are a people possessed
of the strongest racial feelings of any
human beings in the world. They never
CT do nf y1nfr ft,ar,
do not live but for themselves; they do
-noNcare to come in contact with others;
they want to be let alone. 1t is historic
fact that the wall around China was built
to keep out the rowing hordes of Huns
and other foreigners who wanted to get
possession of the immensely rich mineral
fields and rice plantations of that land.
They effectually resisted the attempts of
foreign invasion for hundreds of years.
Drawing parallel between the China
man and the japanese, Justice Brewer
said: The Japanese are the Frenchmen
of the Orient. whilst the Chinaman is the
German. The Japanese is quick to see
the advantages of Western civilization and
profits thereby. which is best shown by
the results of the last war between these
two neighboring Empires. The Japanese
army, with its modern implements and
SO much chaff before them"
Touching on the present condition of
affairs in China, Justice Brewer said: mo
Chinese wall can keep the world out, and
our civilization will enter into its realm.
They Will have our progressive ideas, our
civilization, our arms and ammunition,
our machinery, our men of learning our
mechanics, and our missionaries. But the
day may also come when some great man
like Napoleon will arise in that Empire,
organize its army of millions, and then
what will the civilized powers do? The
present trouble will disappear in little
while. But the time will surely come
when the Chinese will make use of the
lessons which We have taught them. China
some day will be a most powerful nation"
Speaking of the adjustment Of the pres
ent trouble, Justice Brewer said: THE
first thing to adjust matters now would
be to see to it that the chief persons who
engineered the movements of the Boxers
should be punished-thoroughly punish
ed-not the ones who obeyed orders but
those from whom the orders emanatcd.
If it was not directed by those high in
power, or at the head of the Chinese Gov
ernment ii vas at least connived in by
them; they were fully aware what was
going on. And in order that there shall
be order in the future and security in that
empire, tnere SnOuld be certain sum-
mary punishment of the rulers. would
take no chances but deal out effective
punishment, not to the little ones, but to
the prime movers"
Further on in his address Justice Brewer
said:-.You can't keep out of China in
these days of progress, commerce, and en-
lightened thought. the civilized nations
of the world
Speaking of the treatment the Chinanlan
is receiving at our hands in this country,
Justice Brewer said:
But the ChiDaman here is also enti-
tied to decent treatment, entirely differ
ent from what he is receiving now. As il
stands now, it is not right, it is not fair,
and his enmity to foreigners may find
some cause in the treatment he is accord
ed in foreign lands. We ought not to do
Chinese people differently from what we
may expect from them should we live in |
China. Some of our legislation regarding
Cinnamon needs revision
OF the missionary in China Justice |
Brewer said: There has been much talk |
about missionaries being at the bottom |
Of this trouble. / have no doubt that's
true to certain degree. His work is not |
At first agreeable to the Chinaman, and it
is not strange that there is a feeling
against him when the Chinaman considers
the treatment he is receiving at our
hands. But the missionary work must go