The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-04-09
TEN TsU RAI OF CHINA
a society 20 Re-estabIish Natural
Feet for Oriental Women.


NEW YORK. April s.-"The Tien Tsu
Hal or Natural Feet Society. is said to
be due TO the enthusiasm and unremitting
labors OF Mrs. Little. an English woman.
who lives at Chung King. China. on the
upper Yang-Tsl. about two thousand miles
from Shanghai
It was in June. 1895. during the excite
ment cauged by the Chinese-Japanese war.
while in Shanghai on visit that Mrs.
Little formed this society. She enlisted
the sympathies Of foreign resident women.
appointed committees in various places to
aid in the distribution Of literature. held
meetings. and offered prizes for essays.
In tie fall Of the year the American
Episcopal Mission held meeting at
Chung King in favor of this movement
embracing nearly all OF the foreign COM
munity. A local committee was formed
with a representative Of each English
speaking community upon it. These mis-
sionaries agreed to unite in the work. and
were Joined by some Chinese who had been
previously interested. The result wss the
formation Of an anti-FoOtbiuding Society
with a foreign and a Chienese secretary
Mrs. Little says:
We Of the society try to influence pub
Tic opinion by literature. and leave il TO
missionaries 10 make individual converts.
American missionaries are particularly
jealous and successful.
This custom of footbinduUg dates back
ere thousand years, and until the women
OF China are released from this terrible
bondage. endured only to please the men,
there is no hope for China.
NsrHH aHHrrFna r.
length for a Chinese WOE1aI's foot. Lift e
girls. while undergoing ne binding. a,e
tortured for three years, tie bancages be-
ing frightened every five lays. IL often
causes paralysis and some times the toss
and feet drop on. More than one in ten
die during the operation. In some prov
snces rich and poor alike bind their feet
Its horrors cannot be exaggerated. Every
thing in China moves with tremendous
slOWness particularly innovations. and the
refOTmers expect il VIII take a century or
more TO make the change complete
The greatest problem 10 be overcome Is
the aversion OF Chinese men to marrying
women whose feet are Lot squeezed INFO
deformed objects bearing little or no re-
semblauce 70 the natural foot A woman
whose foot is anywhere near the size ma
ture intended is an oUtcass so far as mat
TimOuy is concerned. The men think il a
disgrace to marry her, and an unmarried
woman is burden TO her relatives and
herself
The Bombay Undia) Gazette says OF
this movement: Fortunately. several IL
iuentiaI Chinese officials have countenanc-
ed the Western Ladies League. and ST.
encouraging is operations IRE most Sc
rious rebuff these Tell-meaniug women
receive was she Chinese WOm4u's retort-
We'll. II We DO bind our feet We don't
bind our waists
Now. however. o literary graduate
named Chou, resident Of SaifU SZeChuaD.
has ISSUED g manifesto. which has been
endorsed by five other CitiZeTs Of s. ifu.
and their associates are asked 10 support
IT, Chou declares that 10 crime IS more
criminal than diSobadigEce 10 the Empe-
ror. and no injury more pliHruI than the
breaking Of bones and SireWs. The En-
perOr Shun ChiR and COafpcius himself
taught men 20 respect. not to iujure. their
/ bodies. and by binding their feet be de-
clared the preCepts Of the Emperor Shun
Chin and CT Coufucius are ignored and set
at Eaught
Il already know OF two young mel Cf 20
sition who say they viii not hind their liz
tie girls feet. There are three little girls
here who have lost. both their feet. But
more than the physical suffering is the
Inability TO walk. and the hardening OF ne
mothers hearts 10 the suffCrings OF their
children When unbound OF course. the
feet Co not grow quite right but the
women can walk, ard after time are sres
from pain"