The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-11-03
NEW BOOhS
n,ief Reviews Of important and interesting
New Publications.

New GuDitato"S
In The Crisis in China" Harper Il Brothersl
We have a volume made up oil "A NUMBER OF
articles by different writer's ana puoiishcu
originally In the North American he"en' Inc
trontispiece is n picture Of the Dowaeer En-
press " Ihinu which the curious reader may
compore with a picture Of the same lady con-
,o,nad in Miss Scidmore's recent and very en-
PERTAINING book on china published by tho
C.,r,,p Company. OF the two. the Empress
Who Ia M orded by the Harpers Is. to our mind.
by far the more charming. although we can
imagine that from the point OF view OF Il s'rIct
humorist this mieht not be- accepted "A u cor
rect opinion. Miss Scidmore's Empress Is M
deed a highly interesting figure. She Is re-
produced from a painting made on six 10y
that sensitive and subtle dclineator OF the
human form and features. ii Shin Ih'uan. at
some period prior 10 her twcnty-ifth birthday
She sits bolt upright precisely in the mlddi" oil a
great throne which lie properly upholstered ana
supplied with dragons of approved and forc'nl"
design. She does zoe 1t upon her throne in
the manner Of the Imrr"ssc- Of Western
countries. Her feet do not depend IN
front and rc-t upon n stool or on the floor. tut
are drawn up within the expansive area of the
cushioned scat, where -hc sit, with much priul-
nes, either upon her heels or cross-l"Eg"d.
gown of obvious richness. apparently OF
black velvet relieved with white "r yellow
silk facings, IFS her without n wrinkle and As
though it had boon carved out of wood. DISKS
OF fine laro are attached 10 the gown NJ regular
intervals. and the whole l. bestowed In the
throne with such stiffness Of precision that one
not knowing IL to he a gown might very well
mistake il for n Chinese parChrsi board, Inc
face Of Miss Scidmore's Empress extends and
forthoS the impression Of the gown. II j. a
precise. measured face, most evidently ac-
complished with square and compasae'. ana
We do not believe that n line Of IL j. ont Of
range with tho furniture or throne line with
which it i, intended to correspond. The
healdrcss Of the Empress will he mistaken
for an aspiring part Of the throne
hv ANYBODY who does not look sharp; ald
indeed the differentiation In u dozen place,
is not sufficient Ia enable ono to be quit" sure
whore the throne ceases and the Empress
begins. That such an Empress should have
inspired gallautrios and ordered peoples heads
cut of is extremely difficult to believe.
Plenty Of bold spirits that We know would not
hesitate to say Boo" To- her, and W are sure
that anybody seeing her In front ot a tobac-
~cori,,'s shop would contemplate her. II with
admiration. still without suspicion. But the
Harper Empress looks human and ia decidedly
charming. Here the artist has happily de-
tachcd his Empress from tn" turnitIr" and
bestowed her in an attitude of grace and ease.
Her oval face, her arch"d brow-, her large
aid langui-hiug eyes. her long and SENDER
no-n. her -hapcly hands, her willowy flsure,
tho snow-white parting in her hair. her bracelet
ard earrings, her reasonable and pretty gown
all these contribute 10 make her "a very diff
feront Empress from Miss Scidmoro's Empress.
although still here We can detect no sign Of the
VASTLY wicked Empress DUNIgpr.
one Of the best of the articles in this book i
contributed by Mr. WI Tiug-laus. the Chinese
Minister Mt Washington. lie oun-id"rS the pos
elhultc- Of mutual he'll fHlur-S between China
and the United states. touiuciu~ once. when
he was asked for a single word to serve "a a
guiding principle in life. suggested the word
reciprocity" Mr. WI thinks that the tccmiug
millions Of China are calculated to be good
customers OF the American manufacturers and
that Americans are c1lcul tied 10 .rIrl Tn" need
that China ha. for tho development Of her vi-t
resource. There are railroad. to be built and
mines to be worked in China, and Americans are
wanted there accordingly. Let the product-
OF American farms, mills and WORK, hops once
catch the Chinese fancy. and America need look
no further for a market. The present Uolu-
larity Of American kcro.one illustrates the
readiness Of the Chinese 10 ACCEPT any artlcl,
that fills "A long felt want. They have racog-
ni2ed In Kerosene a cheap and good illUminaut.
much superior to their own nut oil. and it h -
consequently found its way into distant and
outlying parts Of the empire whore tie very
name Of America Is unknown. Stores in ~"
interior now send their agents 70 the treaty
ports for il" On the other hand, I'm the va
and rich territory of China proper hundreds
Of generations Of men haze lived and died
without eXhausting its richness and fertility.
M. ....I,. g. .,,nxa,I.,- =. .L,.. ,...H4
wealth Of nature lying hidden within the bowels
~ the earth. The mines of iunnan. thoryh
they have for centuries supplied the Govern
ment with copper for the coinage Of those
pieces Of money commonly known as cRsh.
only await the INTRODUCTION of modern methods
Of extraction 10 yield an annual output rs large
~ that Of the famous Calumet and liecla mines.
The sands Of the lang-tse, washed down from
the highlands Of Tibet. contain 50 much gold
that that part Of it, course as il enters the
Province ~ S2echuen is called tho River of
Golden Sand More important still az"
the deposits Of coal which underlio the surface
formation Of every province. There j. abuud-
ant iron too, and as for labor: Every village can
count it's thousands Of laborcr,. every CITY its
tens of thousands. Experience proves that the
Chinese a. all-round lahorrrs can easily dis
lance all competitors. They are INDUSTRIOUS.
intelligent and orderly. They can work under
conditions that would XIII n man OF less hardy
IA ~. in heat that would suit n salamandcr or in
cold that would please a polar bear. sustaining
their energies through long hours Of unremit-
ting toll with only a few bowls Of rice" But
have the Chinese the needed capital? '1hcy
are n nation of shopkeopers. Whit capital
they have Is usually invested in small bu,i-
ness ventures. 1t is their instinct 10 avoid
large enterprises. Thus the capital In the
country. though undoubtedly large. may bc
likened 10 n pile Of sand on the beach. IL has
great extent, but it il so utterly lacking in
cohesion that out OF II no lofty structure can
he built. Before China can he really on the
high road 10 prosperity IL must find means
Of utilizing every economic advantage that II
has. Modern methods are IL greatest Mood.
Here l. Americas opportunity. The Yankee
l. never seen 10 better advantage than when
experimenting with a now idea on n colossal
scale. To direct vast or novel enterprises
Is a perfectly new experience to the Chjnaman.
Give him a Junk and he will with case ride ont
the Aerce~t typhoon that ever dashed tho seas
Bat give him an ocean leviathar Of the rr".rnt
dav. with It's complicated engines, dynumos.