The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1905-11-09
American Adventure il tho East.


Recently two subaltern officers Of the
United States army abandoned their
chances of becoming lieutenant gen.
eral some day and accepted high
rank in the military service Of China.
Soldiers of fortune are not so common
in this practical age as they were in
the days Of chiyalry, yet there have
been notable examples in the recent
past of American officers taking serv-
ice under foreign flags. To this class
the civil war armies contributed Loring
Pasha and Stone Pasha in the service
Of the khedive of Egypt and General
hiram Berdan, who for over twenty
years was in the employ of the car Of
Russia. AID if western military gen
lus is held at premium in the east
why may not other professional talent
push into the untried world for fresh
fields of enterprise? The fact that
many young Americans of professional
training are asking this question and
IRE eager to go all lengths in the solu-
ton Of it is shown by the inquiries fire.
Quently addressed to our consuls in
oriental countries about the chances
there for outsiders to get on in civil
professions. In response to many APP
plications of this nature United States
Consul Anderson, at Annoy, has writ
ten at length upon the field in China.
Briefly, his report is discouraging, al
though he admits that outsiders have
earned large fees there in medicine,
law and dentistry These, however,
were exceptional cases, and it by no
means follows that opportunities for
making fortunes are greater in China
than in the United States.
Even where fees are greater in orr
entail countries than those gained at
home, Consul Anderson says that the
increased cost Of many necessities and
Of all the comforts dear to the western
bred man render practice there less
profitable and satisfactory than in Eu-
rope and America.
The consul treats especially of law,
medicine and dentistry, three pro-
LESSONS in which the west far out
strips the east. In law there is no
opportunity in China for foreigners
outside the consular courts, and in
this field the increase of the number
of attorneys keeps pace with the in
crease of business, and the struggle is
as keen as it is at home.
In medicine the number of native
practitioners is rapidly increasing in
China, owing to the medical schools
maintained by missionary physicians.
The unrelieved suffering due to want
of medical care is appalling, but the
masses are poor and suffer on because
it is cheaper or otherwise better to
suffer than to be cured and die Of
starvation. In dentistry Consul An
derson says the opportunities for sue
cessful practice are extremely limited.
The newcomer must either buy an
established practice or struggle for
years to build up one for himself. The
poorer Chinese are unable to pay for
eigner fees which he would consider
suitable, and the rich patronize the
long established practitioners.
Foreign residents in China generally
patronize professional men of their
own nationality. Foreign trained Jap
anese are becoming numerous in the
professions in China They have the
advantage of understanding the Chi
nese character and of mastering the
native language. The Chinese as 4
rule look down upon all professional
men, whether native or foreign, and
consult them only when in desperate
straits. If efforts to better the con-
d1tions fail to meet expectations the
practitioner is put upon the defensive
Owners Of automobiles are them
selves largely to blame for the grow
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