The Saint Paul globe., 1900-10-28

conduct and beliefs. They, alone of all
the men. merchants. missionaries. poll
ticians and soldiers, who have invaded
China from the West have thus far
shown any ability for the great task of
winning the Orient to the adoption Of
Western religions and the Western modes
of life.
Every diplomat who has succeeded in
China has had TO begin as the Jesuits
began. All the difficulty which has pre-
vailed in recent years has been we'll de-
alared by the charge d'affaires at the
Germany embassy at Washington. who,
for number of years, represented his
government in diplomatic capacity in
China, to have arisen out of the one
word, misunderstanding.
That gentleman, on his arrival in China
some years ago. made a journey over
land from Shanghai to Pekin, and was
thereafter regarded by European resi-
dents as an altogether exceptional per-
which he found to prevail among for
eign residents regarding the Chinese in
the following words, taken from an out
line made by him of Germany's policy
in China and published in the current
number of Golfers Weekly:
''On arriving at Shanghai it struck me
that in q large city it was not possible
for me to hunt up single foreigner
who was able to give the painest hints
as tc overland travelling in China. No
body there ever seemed to have attempt
ed it, and l was rather looked upon as
a reckless and adventurous character. |
found it best to trust to my own Judg-
ment and to rely on my men. On ar
rival at Pekfn | was greatly surprised to
find the same ignorance prevailing re-
garding conditions in the interior. sim
ply did not meet single man VINO had
ever come in touch with the country
| (barring some missionaries l, met later
on), except on the short and hard-trod-
den path from Tien TSin to Pekin Men
were there who had lived many, even
twenty. years In China and had. never
gone beyond the temples in the northern
hills, about fifteen miles from the walls
of Pckin. They We're filed to the brim
with knowledge which they soon began
to turn off in streams, but it had all
| the smack of the book, gathered within
the close quadrangles of the Pelzin COM
pounds. They never had really felt the
breath of China's millions, or ever
touched the pulse of the vast stretches
of the country"
When we consider that the Chinese
view of the foreigner which depicts him
| as a devil, is not quite a half century
old, and that the Dutch, before they had
| been shouldered aside from the trade of
China by the pushing Anglo-Saxon, lived
and traded in the most complete amity
with the Chinese people, it is easy to
| understand that until the Jesuit policy
is adopted by the European nations, and
| the native of the Flowery Kingdom is
approached from his human side there
never will be a peaceful adjustment Of
the great question which modern COM
| mercial progress has created for itse.f
in the Orient
1t is this knowing, now steadily fore
ing itself on the European. political and
mercantile understanding, which contains
within it the prospect of. a solution of
the Chinese puzzle, If it is. on these
lines that Germany and British diplo-
macy intends to act there can be but lit
tie doubt of the future. According to
Baron Won Sternherg. Germany has no
aggressive purpose in China; but is in
tent on winning the Chinese understand
ing and sympathy, by resort to such
methods of dealing.,a both the history
and character of the Chinese people show
to be effective with them, then, indeed,
will the progress of Germany in China
be equal to the best she has to show
thus far in her career of foreign infu-
ence and acquisition.