The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-23
MIR. WI TALKS.
Things that Most Impressed Him Dur.
ing His Stay in the United States.

New York World.
Mr.. WI crossed one leg over the other
under his lavender skirt Then he inter-
locked his fingers and repeated the ques-
ing my six years in the United States 2"
1.-TWO things" he said, 1.-The activity of
your people and the good the rich men dc
II suppose every foreigner is impressed
with the restless energy of the Americans.
1t is so different from the quieter, or shall
/ say more composed, habits of the people
of other countries. Everybody seems to
be full of life; to rush about as If the fate
of the universe depended on his individual
efforts. You are all hustlers"-he smiled
little when he used that word. You see,
l know the idioms. 1t Is this energy this
activity, that accomplishes the results that
have made you the wonderful nation. We
in China are of a different temperament.
We are not so active: but even with that
temperament L have found II contagious.
l find myself walking more quickly and
doing things more rapidly. 1t is great. 1t
is the secret-energy. activity, push. 1t is
the type of Americanism.
linen L marvel at the good the rich do
with their money. L mean it astounds me
this country distribute their wealth to uni
versities, TO libraries. to hospitals and to
great public improvements and enterprises
for the education of the people. Mr.. Car
negle said he considered himself an agent
for the disposition of his money for the
Deneht OF the people. There is very little
OF tnat spirit abroad.
OF course, there are misers We have
them in China. There are many rich men
there, you know, and some of them hold
on 10 their money closely. i suppose there
are plenty of misers in this country, too;
but that doesn't detract from the splendid
example of the men like Carnegie and
Rockefeller and others who are pouring
out their money for the benefit of the pub
nc do not mean TO say that they are
giving enough or half enough. 1t is the
trait that interests or impresses me- II is
marvellous to see these men put hundred
thousand dollars here into hospital and
another hundred thousand there for a
church or for school. 1t means that they
have proper conception of their duties to
their neighbors. 1t means that. no matter
how much they NAV be criticised they are
working, in this way at least, for the pub
Tic good. The only way to make a peopIe
greater is to educate them lift them tIp:
and that is what ali of these magnificent
gifts tend to do.
1T is not easy to give away money any
more than ii is easy to make money. Still.
these men have acquired the art of making
the money, and they seem rapidly to be
finding out the way TO give il away so that
ii will do the most good Think how much
a million is, Then think of man takine
that sum from his fortune and presenting
Ii TO university for the benefit of all the
young men who may come along and wish
TO enter that university and educate them
selves to be better citizens and 10 help their
fellow-men. This liberality has made a
deep impression on me. L consider IL one
of the remarkable evidences of American
character that / have noticed"