The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-04-08
THE NEW ERA IN CHINA.


 "A new era is dawning for China" says Chentung Liang-Chang, the min ister to succeed Minister Wu, who reached Washington Saturday. This representative from the land of Confu- cius takes an optimistic view of condi- tions that seem so discouraging to many of his countrymen, but he evil dently realizes that this country has proved better friend to China than most os the nations concerned in the suppression Of the instruction of the Boxers. But any favorable comment he may have made on the attitude Of the United States toward his country must have been only comparative es- innate with that of other countries, for he could not have found any too much to praise if he considered our dealings with China for the past twenty years.
 An educated man like his predeces- sor. the new minister takes a philo- sophical view of our restriction of Chi nese labor. for he admits that we had reason to keep out ordinary laborers and that we did it for our own protec- tion, but he hopes to see some moditi- cation of that edict that will help Chi na in her educational work. While much that he says may be the plausi- ble language of diplomacy, he certainly does not show the resentment that might be expected against the one- sided conditions that permit United States citizens to settle in China and demand that they be protected there, while 1t does not allow reciprocal op- portunities for the Chinese to settle here.
 But the intelligent Chinaman must recognize the weakness of his own na- tion in its ignorance and the lack of cohesive power in it's government, which allows such 8 mighty empire nu- merically to submit to the distates of foreigners without protest. It is good sign, therefore, that such an off, cial should be willing to accept the in evitable and endeavor to make the most out of a disagreeable situation He realizes that in spite of our dis crimination against his countrymen, the United States has recently used it's moral influence for the preservation of the integrity of the Chinese empire. The offences of which we have been guilty were minimized when European powers ran counter to the ancient prej- udices of the nation and demanded such severe indemnities as reparation, Minister Conger did not require such lasting humiliation as the Won Keteller monument Germany stipulated for, and he did much to frustrate any intention to seize portions of the empire: Later we practically acknowledged that the conditions for payment of the indemni- ty were too harsh by admitting our willingness to accept silver instead of the gold that had been specified.
 The attitude of this country, there fore, may be considered favorable to China, although any friendliness is only comparative with the selfishness of other nations. It is no wonder, then, that the minister acknowledges our sympathy and that he not only speaks hopefully of future relations, but he also brings practical evidence of re- stored confidence in the capacity of students for education in our universi- ties. When Chinese exclusion was ag- itated fifteen years ago, all the students then enjoying our system of education were promptly withdrawn by the Chi nese in retaliation for that act, but circumstances seem favorable now for a ' renewal of the conditions that existed when such men as Yung Wing conduct ed picked young men to this country to