The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-08-17
What Next In China?

IL as a prominent Chinese
characteristic an exceptional
passion for prestige. What dress or
front" is to some Occidentals, face"
is to most Orientals. We thought the
Spaniards punctilious when their ar
my officers, for hours, used to delay
their inevitable surrender while striv-
ing to secure in the articles of capitu-
lation some harmless and meaning
less bits of circumlocution which they
regarded as essential to the salvation
of their untarnished honor But the
Chinese can give the Spanish hun
dred per cent. start in this direction
and win out easily. Their diplomacy
is all face"
In his exceedingly interesting book
entitled "The Real Chinaman," which,
as some of our readers may recall,
was reviewed in The Tribune at the
time of its appearance, in 1895, to the
extent of several columns, and which
is vet the clearest analysis of the
modern Chinaman in print, Chester
| Holcombe, for many years interpre-
| ter, secretary of legation and acting
| United States minister at Pekin, de-
votes a chapter to the troubles aris-
ing between the legationers and the
| Chinese officials over punctilios Of eti-
| quette. For example, prior to 1873,
none of the foreign representatives had
| ever seen the emperor Of China. He
| was not unwilling to be seen, but he
insisted that the foreigners must sub
NIT to the same preliminaries as his
own subjects. The highest native, to
| gain access to the emperor, had first
to PROSTATE himself three times and
| with each prostration knock his fore
head on the floor three times. The le-
| gationers refused to do this. For six
| months the matter was argued pro
and con, and it would probably be un-
| decided yet had not the American
| government lost patience and one day
informed the ng-li-yamen, or Chi
nese foreign Office, that unless our
minister was permitted the same free
dom of audience with the emperor
enjoyed by the Chinese minister at
| Washington with the president of the
United States, friendly relations would
be suspended.
This brought the Chinese diplomat
lists to their senses and for a time
audiences were allowed with a show
of cordality; but soon an unseemly
hour was named, calculated to make
| the ministers appear ridiculous in the
eyes of the natives, and then the eni-
peror developed a singular fondness
for keeping the foreigners waiting half
the day while he doubtless made sport
of them behind the scenes. The frc-
tions growing out of the Chinese gov
ernment's insane desire to preserve the
fiction that the emperor of China Is
the high mucky muck of the whole
| universe and that all the other nations
are inferior and tributary to China
could not be narrated inside OF book
smaller than the unabridged diction-
airy and we have no doubt that a large
part Of the recent disorders will event
ually be traced back to the same fruit
full source.
The forms of etiquette prevalent
among the people of china in their
unofficial social and business relations
probably could not be changed If every
soldier in Christendom were enlisted ir
the effort to change them; but before
the present disturbance is dismissed
some sweeping changes should be made
by the powers in the details of China's
official intercourse with the outside
world. For one thing, the Chinese for
eign office should have a responsible
head and he should be taught to under.
stand his proper obligations. The thor.
ough policing of all treaty ports is
another indispensable requisite to the
safety and comfort of peaCeable for.
eigners travelling in China. Whether
China's capital shall be changed from
Pekin to a city within range of pro,
. tective naval artillery is a question fol
experts to settle; but there is no un.
certainty whatever as to the necessity
for such guarantees of good conduct
from the native authorities as will in,
sure in future the ungrudging fulfil
ment toward decent foreigners of sol
emn treaty pledges upon the alterna
tive of punishment so swift and thor,
ough as to be deterrent of treacherS
or neglect.