The Colfax chronicle., 1904-12-10
ADVANTAGE TO JAPANESE.
Acquire the Language of ManchuriA
and Gain Victories Over Rus
sian Forces.

An important reason why the Jap
anese plans of campaign have beer
carried out with almost mathematical
precision, while those of the Russian,
have apparently been badly arranged
is that the Japanese have taken thu
trouble to acquire the common medi
um-the Chinese language-for the OBJ
tanning of information. The lesson
says London paper, is most serious
one to the British nation, which treats
with proverbial contempt all languages
than its own.
The Russians. who are almost born
linguists as far as European tongues
are concerned. have, with rare excep.
tions. failed most seriously as regards
mandarin" Chinese, which is the one
spoken language of Manchuria-
The following may be adduced as the
chief causes of failure: First, though
the ultimate object was the absorption
OF this rich country, the process was
to be quiet and gradual. The Boxer
outbreak precipitated the event, and
suddenly the whole prize was in her
grasp, with almost no Russians able to
speak the language of the people.
Efforts were made to train men in
the institute for eastern languages at
Vladivostok, but only a few students
have hitherto proved practically en-
cient. Further, everything has been
80 unsettled that but small number
of those Russians in the country have
even attempted to master Chinese.
finding 1t easier to muddle along with
che wretched "pidgin jargon," which
may be sufficient for running a house
hold, but it is not so when matters of
grave importance are at stake.
The Russian railway constructors
engaged a number of the Chinese who
could speak "pidgin Russian" and who
for various motives, had settled in
Russian territory. These, as a rule.
were an utterly unprincipled set, who,
as all natives do, formed cliques or Sc
cret' guilds, which made it impossible
for any but their own kith and kin to
become interpreters.
The primary consequence was that
there were continuous and bitter COM
plants from the common people that
they were always being numerically
cheated by these, as they regarded then,
traitors to their country, who, however,
were rarely loyal to their employers.
Thus, while the Russians spent, for the
same purposes, far more money than the
English engineers on the Imperial Chi
nese lines, the former are hated, while
the latter, owing largely to their selec-
tion of better class of assistants, and
even more to their careful attention to
the direct disbursement of funds. are
greatly respected. IF these English
railway constructors would only learn
to speak our language" say the people,
"our relations with them would be per-
feet" The few Russians who can speak
Chinese are always much sought after.
The Chinese language, according to
Stent's valuable vocabulary and that
great work, Giles Dictionary, is, writ
ten in Romanized letters. only 40S words,
with many to the nonnative ear almost
tones breathings, and
other modulations of the voice.
1t is, therefore, simply impossible to
write anything but common, everyday
matters, Of which the meaning can be
understood from the context in any
other form than that of the Chinese
ldeographs, Of which many thousands
are in common use, each with definite
meaning. Thus, all official documents
N the diplomatic departments in Pekin
ire most carefully written in Chinese
and the British consular
service owes much of its power to the
TACT that all OF its members are Chinese
cholars.
To write Chinese with Roman letters Is
bad enough. but with the Slavonic It is
onfusion itself One person will write
name one way, and another, with 3
slightly different ear, will write the same
word with other letters, and unless
,ne's tongue is already accustomed to
'ronouncing Chinese. no other person
viii reproduce them so as to be really
Understood by any native unless. per-
laps, his own servant. The Russians.
therefore,, have held on most tenaciously
o their evil genius, the low-class native
Interpreter, as to the lesser of two evils.
Sever quite certain of the names of To-
alities, or even as to the descriptions
I places, hills. rivers, unless very well |
,nown. they have been constantly in |
inlculties. Add to these that, with rare
RECEPTIONS, the natives would enjoy de-
lberately misleading the Russians,
7hile their regular interpreters would
ot hesitate to play them false, and It
easy to see at what disadvantage they
ave been placed.
Knows About Russis