The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-03-20

CHINA is CIVILIZED
SAYS MINISTER WI TO A CHICAGO
AUDIENCE.
WHAT MAKES CIVILIZATION.
NOT BATTLEsHIPs, MACHINE GUNS
AND TELEGRAPHs.

China Has Already a Civilization OF
Her Own-Had the Printing Press
and the Compass When Our Ances-
tors Were Naked Savages-To Ask
Them to Accept Our Civilization
Rather Novel, He Thinks-The Civ
ihzation That Has stood the Test
of Forty Centuries Far From Eff
fete.
Chicago, March 1s.-Wu Ting Fang, Chi
nese minister TO the United States, de-
livered the convocation address Of the
University OF Chicago at the Studebaker
Theater this afternoon before the faculty
OF the institution, and an audience that
packed the theater to the doors. Mr..
WI took for his subject, "Chinese Civill-
cation" His defense OF the civilization
of his native country, in his comparisons
with that Of the civilization of the Occi-
dent was much applauded. Mr.. WI said:
True it is that Chiuas isolation has
served to strengthen the nations character
and given it a marked individuality, but
this has not been gained without great
losses. The most serious Is that the ma
ton has not been able to profit by the
trials, experiences and achievements of
the rest of the world. This is especially
true with scientific knowledge and me-
chanical inventions.
of What Civilization Consists.
But does civilization consist of rail-
roads, telegraphs, telephones, electric
lights. battleships. rapid-hring guns, mag
azine rifles and a thousand and one things
which are often regarded as necessary for
progressive nation? This would be a
very narrow Interpretation OF the world.
Civilization has, l believe, broader
meaning, with intelligence, order morality
and refinement for its essential elements.
Such a civilization China undoubtedly
hasa civilization different, to be sure,
from that of the West, but a civilization
nevertheless. In other words, civilization
Is the elevation nation has reached in
its progress from lower to a higher state
OF society. 1t is to be expected that the
civilization attained by China should be
different from that attained from the ma
lions OF the West, by reason of their diff
ference in national development. Chinese
ways are not necessarily bad because
they often seem strange to Western eyes.
1t is merely a question whether one is
accustomed to them or not
China's Ancient Civilization.
There has lately been a great deal of
newspaper talk about civilizing China. /
give credit to those people who advocate
such course for their good intention,
but its desirability, to say nothing of its
diffipnItV uh0
has already a Civilization of her own. II
is the growth of time. Long before the
ancestors of the people of the West ceas-
ed to be naked savages and emerged from
the primeval forests of Central Europe
the Chinese had already known the use
of the compass and the art of printing
Now for the people of the West to turn
around and then ask the Chinese to mi
away their old civilization is rather novel.
The people Of the West may know more
than the Chinese about the building OF
railroads, the floating of foreign loans,
the combination of capital, the deveIop-
ment of resources and the like. All this
is granted. But the Chinese naturally
feel that they are in bettar
position to judge what is best
for their own interest and welfare than
any outsider can be. Therefore any at
tempt to impose upon them any reform
or religion they do not feel the need of
is apt to create trouble. The use of force
is especially to be deprecated, as this
serves only to infiame their passions and
rouse their resentment and opposition
But. on the other hand, much can be &C.
complished by exercising tact and dis
erection. and above all. by giving due con-
sideration to their sentiments and pretu-
dices.
China stu Full of VfRor.
II the people of the West would study
the civilization of China instead OF try
ing to pull 1t down. they will save them
selves great deal of trouble They will
find that China. old as she is, still OK
hibits all the strength and vigor of full
maturity. They will find that the civiliza-
ton that has stood the test OF forty CEN
turtles is far from being effete. They will
find that the proper course to be pur-
sued in putting China on the road to
prosperity and happiness is, not to shake
the foundations of her social and political
fabric, but to allow her to incorporate
such elements OF Western civilization as
she can assimilate. By adopting from
the West only what is best for her well
fare and avoiding everything that is not
suited to the conditions and needs Of her
people she will transform herself into a
modern nation without losing those ele-
ments of national character which have
made her great and strong in the past"