Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-06
AS SEEN FROM PEkIN.
An Americans UnfavOrable View of
Minister WI.

Minister WI.
The New York Tribune publishes letter
from an American who has lived for thirty
years in Tien-Tsin and Pelkin, in which
the writer refers to the Chinese minister
to this country. and says that in his talks
Mr.. WI is misleading the American public.
Everything he says" the letter con-
tinues, leads up to two propositions.
First, China will enlarge trade with US
when we deserve it, and, second, We are
not dealing justly by shutting out Chinese!
While he is waxing eloquent over these
supposed grievances you must remember
that there are 100000 low-class Chinese in
the United States who went there as cool
1es-pauperS-and a million more would go
if they could get in. Their object is to
earn as much and spend as little as they
can and go back to China with their hoard
ingS. They only leave the work of their
hands in our country.
On the other hand, there are but 1000
Americans in China, half of them women,
children and missionaries; they are re-
spectacle, self-supporting people, most of
them well educated; many with large capt.
tai, all of them bringing something to i'm
prove the civilization of China. How is
this handful of Americans, as we'll as all
other foreigners, treated? They are called
foreign DEVILS; missionaries and their con-
verts are prosecuted; merchants have their
trade hampered and restricted by oppres-
sive taxation in the interior and are not
allowed to live there; foreign residence is
officially confined to few sea and river
ports, and foreigners go into the interior
at their own risk; their lives and property
are never entirely safe there; anti-foreign
riots often occur, and the government rare
ly fnterferes until mischief is done. Even
now there is a great movement around
Pekin by anti-foreign society which
the government would not suppress in
spite of urgent warnings from foreign min
listers.
China has nothing but trade to offer
She is too far behind the west in every
thing but population. You will look in
vain for national or personal characters
tics that command admiration in the west
China has no brave people ready to defend
their country or their principles with their
patriots or pure minded statesmen: no re-
ligion with active, vital force; no social or
religious combinations for promoting pub
lie good; no fine arts. literature, science,
Jurisprudence or inventions worthy of west
ern study and imitation. China has no
contribution to make to promote the well
fare of humanity at large-she has every
thing to learn and much to unlearn.
Our people should know the whole truth
about this question; they should not en-
courage cant or false sentiment. Cnre-
stricted trade with China? Certainly. all
the European powers want 1t, and we
should have our full share. But We are
not to look upon it as a favor from China
any more than We should consider a din
MI We l'dS ioi d as q IaNOr-
1t is mutual accommodation and common
benefit; in fact, China has more TO gain
than we have in point of national improve
ment, If only the scales would fall from her
prejudiced eyes.
why, then, should Mr. WI Ting Fang
assume an air of Importance and patron
age when speaking of trade which will
directly benefit his country equally with
ours, and indirectly more so?
Instead of carping at Injustice in the
United States, where a hundred thousand
low-class Chinese find refuge, and wages
such as they would never dream of getting
at home, and where a million more would
go If they could, Mr.. WI would do better
TO suggest reforms to his own government
whereby the surplus population could
easily be supported at home"