The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-02-19
VISITING
CONSUL IS
OPINIONS

sE1fLLIAM MARTIN United States
GSf Consul at Nankin, who has beer
in the United States on a vaca-
| ton of sixty days, is one Of the passen-
gers in the Transport Grant, on his
way to Manila Mr.. Martin is accom-
panied by his family The party will
spend some time in the Philippines. and
| then will go to the north.
Mr.. Martin has been closely associ-
ated with the affairs in connection with
| the peace negotiations, owing to his
| friendship with the Viceroy of the prov
| ince. whose intimate friend he be-
came, and this enabled him to make
| representations through that aged Off
| cial, who was a close adviser of the
late Lii Hung Chang. Also being in
these close relations with official life
it has been the fortune of Mr. Martin
to exercise not little influence over
the trend of affairs, which will have
to do with the new life of the Celes-
tial Empire.
China will be renewed by the efforts
of her people," said Mr. Martin last
evening. The feeling in the kingdom
is that the only source of the new
power must come from the opening OF
the minds of the young men of the
nation to Western ideas, and when this
is reached there may be progression
along modern lines. So strong is this
belief that there is now an effort all
over the empire to inaugurate a new
system of education and another story
will have to be written of the regenera-
ton of a state. AS Illustrating what
g hair1o done w pf
personal observation, the school at
Nankin is filled with youth who are
hard at work upon Western textbooks,
studying the modern political economy
and philosophy, with books purchased
by me for the school, from New York,
the same ones which are used in Col
umbia and other colleges, and, too, in
the English language.
The present Governor OF the province
is relative of Prince Ching, an able
man, who has been steadily advanced
as he has shown new ability. While
was in the States this time 1 received
letter from him asking me if I would
bring with me on my return a full list
of the books used and the curricula
Of the various schools in the American
system, as there was about to be inau-
gurated a system of schools to be based
on our own plans. L am very hopeful
that the future will bring about a
complete reorganization of affairs in
the Chinese empire, which will be bas-
ed on the capacity of its own people
to take care of themselves.
Il do not believe that there will be
such result, however, without a col
lision between the forces of China and
those of some other power. The Chi
nese certainly have endured much. They
hEN hoo 11AI
Kinds of indignities and in my opinion
the time may come when some one of /
the powers which has been given great !
concessions there will overstep the !
bounds and there will be a resounding
slap administered. 1 am not of opinion
that II Will be a general war again. but !
the one power which does make such ac-
ton necessary will have to suffer for it. !
nave been asked as to what the Chi
nese people will do, and have always an
swered that the time for the end of their
submission must come. If any power or
combination of powers had inflicted one
half what the Chinese have had to bear
upon us we would have given our lives
rather than face such conditions. Per-
haps the time may come when the Chi
nese will refuse to endure longer
The growth of China will come
through the introduction of modern
by peaceful means. If an at
tempt had been made to force the Chi
nese to take up the arms of the Western
world l believe the people would have e.
turned to the use of the spear But let
them see effectiveness of modern things
and they will adopt them. Thus as soon
as order was restored in every province
there was an order to the governor to at
0nce secure as drillmaster for the troops
some officer from the Western armies
and this was done wherever possible
The result of this will be the making of
L modern army very soon. The same
Will be the result in all other lines When
he people see what is the outcome of
he adoption of later methods. they will
axe to them, and then will come a new :
mpire.
The future of : merican trade is very
ncouraging and there will be- l believe,
steady increase in the American ex-
,nrtS 70 China for AIt.-