The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-01
The CHINESE SITUATION.
National University Students Debate
the Partition of the Empire.

The senior class of the law department
! of the National University defeated the
Junior class in the first competitive de-
bate of the present year at University
Han, thirteenth Street northwest. last
night. large audience listened to the
arguments presented by two representa-
tives from each class. The question IN
volved was, Resolved. That the forcibie
partition of China by the great Powers
would be in the interests of civiiizatioE- =
he afnrmathe was maintained bv J. s.
Fowler, OF Utah. and ). II. Martin. of
Indiana. representing the junior a SIS.
ne negative by Cnver +. BusDy. of
Texas, and II. Lewis Daily, of Virginia.
both members of the SENIOR class. Tne
luGees were Representati. George w.
Faris, OF Indiana; Rep estnt.. tive oam Il.
I Cooper, and George X. W aies, of YER
mont.
Considerable class spirit was displayed
by number of auherents of both classes.
All the speakers were vigorously applaud
ed at the close of their arguments. The
president of the debating society. kl..er
E. Rogers, of Indiana. in a brief pre-
liminary address stated the question and
speaker of the affirInatI,e. In opening
his argument Mr.. Fowler referred to the
history of China, stating that for 5000
Yeas that Iation has "e,-. s.eitg-l "a.
from the world, and that through all The
ages humanity had never been in
least benefited by her existence. He call
question which hau been InruSt upon the
world by the recent Boxer uprising. He
asserted that partition was the only So
luton of the problem which, IL ii remains
unsettled, will ever remain a menace to
the world. He said further Partition
would therefore be necessity as n m, as
ure of seif-defence on the part of The
Powers and a necessity for the growth
OF commerce.
Oliver +. Busby then took the floor for
the negative and advised that western
~ It mo H.
lens. He said that the Chinese mad 1v1J
years ago founded a Government on prin-
ciples which had endured without change;
tie reSafued partiLion as tcniing toward
divisive strife among the Powers, and
called attention to the fact that China
could place an army II 5o.u00,ooO men in
the field, which would prove a greater
obstacle to the Powers than the Trans
vaal now does to the mother country.
J. +. Martin responded for the affirm
attve, and warned ali against China : ap-
parent humiliation. beneath which there
lIrk ed a viriiIent hatred of the foreign
devils" ready to break forth anew. he
argued that China, If lett to her own
obsolete traditions and ancient religious
customs. would never progress, but that
policy of partition would result in mod
ern civilization in that land. He closed
by asserting such a policy would open "A
wider field for Christianity. which would
lead to still more rapid advancement
for the negative, and argued that China
was a civilized nation. and that Ihe
standard of morality among the Chinese
was superior to that of many European
States. HE declared that this was 50
true that China was better fitted to civil
ze certain Western countries than tn y
were to uplifr China. In closing he sail
that they were peace-i0Ving people.
but would resent partition to the full
limit of their powCg. and that as result
of such rolicy the nation would retro
grade. and n rapidly growing commerce
be seriously crippled.
Mr.. J. 5. Fowler of the affirmative, was
allowed seven minutes for rebuttAl, after
which the judges retired. and later re-
turred a decision in favor of the senior
class.
During the evening readings were given
by Miss l.. Virginia Rogers and Miss
Margaret Cocper.