The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-02-08

Iu kIumgs kim. and one only needs
t1 have an intimate knowledge OF our
Chinese fellow citizens tu know how
they appreciate humor
but it is not only the ordinary Chi-
Inosu or the ordinary Oriental who can
Doe humorous and nolicsomc. Her Ma
iesry the Empress Dovagcr can.
through her nephew the Emperor. be
VERY humorous indeed as the following
document shows The Chinese Impnri-
a eJict says
The development of mems talents is
certainly az the present ume ui urgent
Importance. Some time since it was
proposed by the provincial authorities
lot lNiang-nan, Hupeh, ana SzeChuen to
select and send students abroad to
travel and study-an excellent sugges-
ton.
Let the viceroys and governors of
the various provinces all act i'm accord
.auce with it and exert themselves to
select students of mental gifts, up
right character, literary talents and
general knowledge of affairs who shall
Et abroad to thoroughly educate them
selves, particularly i'm the specialized
branches of industrial science. Let
some profession, and genuinely exert
themselves in the pursuit of knowledge.
when their education shall have
been completed and they shall have OBJ
tanned their diplomas and returned to
China, let the vicerOys and governors
and literary Chancellors of the provin-
ces concerned at once divide them into
classes, according to the courses of
study which they may have pursued,
and examine them. If their knowledge
shall really correspond with the state
ments made i'm their diplomas, the au-
thOrities mentioned shall issue a dOCu-
Ment certifying the same, and send 1t
with the student to the Board of For
eign Affairs, who, after further exam
and memorialize us, requesting honors
to be conferred on them. As to the eX-
penses attendant upon such travel and
study, let each province arrange some
satisfactory method of paying the same
and it will be permitted to enter the
item under the head of Government eX-
penditure.
Should any person go abroad to
study at his own expense, let the vice
roy and governor of his province at
once report the fact to the Chinese
minister in the country to be visited,
that he may look after such students
AS occasion may require. If he shall
tOllDltle HIS tOuISt VI 6luug anu bb-
tain a fiTst-class diploma, on his re-
turn to China he shall be permitted to
enter the examinations on the same
terms as the students which have been
sent abroad by the Government After
wards, they will await an imperial de-
cree bestowing upon them, according
TO their attachments, the degrees of
doctor and master of arts, that they
may be prepared for official employ
ment and to encourage the pursuit of
learning.
Let this edict be published abroad
for general information Respect this"
Could anything be funnier than the
dyed in the wool Chinese "viceroy
governor or literary chancellor" exam
lining a a University student from Har-
ward, Yale, Michigan, oxford, Cam
bridge, Leipsic or Heidelberg upon his
knowledge of the higher sciences, or
even upon his knowledge of the mere
ordinary branches of Western educa-
ton Such farce could only be ina
gined by Dean Swift, and was to
some extent fOreshadowed in his vOy-
age to Laputa, but how infinitely fun
nier he might have made his story had
he lived to see this Chinese document.
And it is with this kind Of stuff that
the whole Western world is bamboozled
from monarch to missionary. Mean
while the wiley celestial laughs in his
sleeve.