Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-29
Practical Results of the Cru
SADIE Appear.
MAY END THE PRACTICE
PROGRESSIVE VIEWS OF VICER0Y
CHANG CHIH TUNa.
The Martyrdom of Chang Yin Hoon-
Portrait of the Empress Dowager
to Be Brought to Washington.
BY WILLIAM e. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM e. CURTIS.
Written for The Evening Star and Chicago Record
Herald.
The crusade against foot binding in
China. which has been carried on with great
intelligence and energy for several years
under the direction Of Mrs. Archibald Little
and other women, Is beginning to show
practical results, and it's leaders are so
sapguine to predict that this barbaric
practice will be practically abandoned In
another generation. It Is prohibited by edict
throughout the empire and In some OF the
provinces severe penalties are imposed upon
parents who disfgure their girl babies in
that way.
The empress dowager, who Is q Manchu
and has never had her feet bound, was in
terested In the movement and some time
ago issued a proclamation on the subject.
She also instructed the viceroys governors
and local magistrates to exercise their full
authority to prohibit the practice and to
punish those who persisted in disobeying
her orders. Most Of the viceroys have re-
sponded Loyalty and have issued appropriate
proclamations. The viceroy of Hupeh has
not only forbidden foot binding. but has
prohibited the making and the sale OF
small shoes within his Jurisdiction. so that
this women with compressed feet are COM
PEELED to make their own shoes. Chao Err
SEN vfceroy of Human, In his edict declares
that any father or mother detected IN nin 10,
Imprisonment as well as by fine. and he
calls upon all loyal citizens to assist MIN
in carrying out the reform. The viceroy OF
Chih-li and the viceroy Of Szechuen have Is.
sued similar proclamations. and one of
them / am not sure which, has prohibiteo
the marriage of girls with deformed rect.
This proclamation strikes at the very root
of the evil because In the upper classes VI
Chine compressed feet have been fashlon-
able and young men have been unwiiEng
TO marry girls who were not thus deformed
The most vigorous foe or the prac.ice'
however. is Chang Chin Tung. the vener-
able yiceroy at WI Chwang. OF whom 1
wrote you the other day. He has frequent
" declared that In his opinion opium smoking
and foot binding are the greatest es , .n ,;,i
never recover it's natural strength unth
both are suppressed. He attributes inc
stagnation of his race to these causes, the
use of opium Supplying the men ana ioot
binding disabling the women: He predicts
that when both disappear the people OF
China will recover their ancient power ana
prestige and take their proper place among
the nations. Only a few months ago Chane
Chin Tung presented memorial 10 the
throne recommending that the importation
of opium be prohibited and that the cui.iva-
ton of peoples and the manufacture OF the
drug be forbidden under heavy penalties.
Every Chinese statesman who has ever dis
cussed this subject has condemned the use
of opium and deplored Its Increase among
both mandarins and coolies Even LII hung
Chang, who was the largest opium producer
in all the empire. was candid enough 10
lament the vice and recommended measures
for its suppression
Advice of Chang Chin Tung.
Chang Chin Tung has recently published
a book setting forth his views of the policy
that ought to be followed by the govern
ment at this time. He sums up his device
into fifteen paragraphs. as follows:
1. He urges the study of the sciences, be-
cause "he who enters ignorant into the
battle of life cannot expect to conquer"
2 He recommends foreign travel. because
an accurate insight into the conditions ex-
listing in the outside world cannot be gained
otherwise. 1.-THE mental horizon will be
enlarged by travel and the understanding
sharpened."
3 The establishment of universal sys-
tenn of schools Is indispensable.
4. Modern methods of teaching must be
introduced. THE European nations gained
their power through their schools. No one
Is competent to administer the responsible
tiles of the government without knowing
the methods that prevail in foreign cOun-
tries and the causes which have led to the
prosperity or the disasters that have &C.
CURED in other nations"
5. Numerous European and American
books should be translated and distributed
among the people. Foreign teachers are
more people who may thus learn much that
Is useful and fit for imitation
q. Newspapers must be encouraged and
liberty of criticism must be allowed. The
old veteran admcnishes his fellow manda-
rims who object to criticism: 1T Is impos-
Eible to see your own eyebrows, and bitter
medicines are never pleasant to the taste,
although they are necessary to cure dis
ease. BY self-ob5ervation many faults may
be discovered, but others can see things to
which ones self is blind"
I. The laws of China must be revised and
modified to meet modern conditions
3. Examinations of candidates for Office
must be reformed SO as to be more practi-
cal.
3. The people must be instructed in mod
ern methods of agriculture, handicraft and
commerce in order that they may compete
with foreigners and the general welfare be
promoted.
10. The army must be reorganized, and
nore but educated men permitted to serve
as officers. II is important that the privates
shall be educated also as far possible In
order that they may perform their duties
Properly.
II. Engineers in mining must be educated
so that the nation shall not be dependent
upon foreigners in developing the treasures
that stored in the earth.
IL. Railways and cart roads must be built
throughout the empire, because they are
as necessary to trade and commerce as the
erteries and veins OF the body are to its
health"
u. The people must not apply foreign
knowledge blindly or initiate foreign meth
DDS without thought and reflection, be
cause there Is much In China that is good
and superior to anything that foreigners
can offer. Foreign methods must be grated
upon the traditional practices of the coun-
try so as to combine that which Is useful in
both"
IA. The army and the navy must be in
creased and improved Whoever talks
about disarming China does not appreciate
the position of the nation and the dangers
that surround IT,"
Is. The enemies of progress must be con-
verted or suppressed but 1t should not be
done in anger lest the empire suffer harm"
This book has been published In several OF
the many Chinese dialects and has been
extensively circulated throughout the en-
pire Chang Chin lungs reputation for
wisdom Is so general that IL will have a
great influence.
Chang Chin lungs Sons.
I was not aware until we visited WI
Chwang that the old gentleman had a son
in Washington. and although he Is a man
of mature years-more than forty years old
his father considered II important for
him to learn American methods and secured
his appointment as an attache of the lega-
ton for that purpose. He has been there
for more than two years and the old gen.
tleman says that the suggestions and in
L..