Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-25
Dealing With Uncle Sam.

A writer In the current American Maya
zine says:
.'Wu Ting fang is the Chinese boycott
When l first read that there was the mis-
chief to pay in China, few months ago
/ put II down to my old friend, Mr.. WI.
WI Ting-fang's real mission in America
was to find out all he could about Ameri-
cans Thus the millions of questions Whlch
he asked however impertinent they may
have seemed, were always pertinent ones.
Even while he was INDUCING in some subtle
bit of mockery concerning phase OF
American life, he was getting information
He was trying to size up the American
character with the idea of finding out what
the probable American attitude toward
China would be in the future And ne was
n whole anti-exclusion lobby, whole press
agency in himself. although he was always
clever enough not to overly oyerStep the
hounds of diplomatic usage. And Ii Is In
WI Tiug-fang's brain that the idea of strlk-
ing the Americans through their pocket
books originated. He used to say, with
fine scorn of occidental pretensions 10 CIV
ilization that the pocketbook was the only
point about an American that was vui-
nerabe."
This is an old story now, although when
Mr. WI was first charged with the offense
he and his American friends manifested
great Indignation. He and they were full
of assurances that he both loved and ad-
mired America, and was quite incapable
of either instigating or abetting policy
detrimental to our interests. Perish the
thought Had he not tasted our salt and
eaten our bread. and tickled us with LIS
wit in English speech? When Mr.. WI
turned against America the stars would
drop out of the sky. And so forth. But
all the same he was the old gray rat with
the long tail.
1t is incorrect to say that Mr.. WI In his
lobbyings before Congress did not "overtly
overstep the bounds of diplomatic usage"
He was over the line constantly. He was
never roped in. No other foreign diplomat
at this capital ever cut such capers as he
did and escaped censure. Men have been
sent home for much less. Sackville-West'
performance was trivial by comparison.
And, moreover the Englishman was trap
ped. He had volunteered nothing. Mr..
WI, on the other hand, was the whole show
-accuser, judge and jury He bounded
into the ring like the clown in a circus, all
smartness and assurance. ..-.
But the Chinese are not the only people
who have been told that the best way to
manage the American is by threatening
TO empty. or promising to fill. his pocket
hook. There is an impression In certain
quarters in st. Petersburg that American
admiration for Japan can easily be cooled
by the placing OF few orders for battle
ships with American contractors. Let
tide of Russian gold start this way, and
the cry will be for Russia. We are repre-
scented as having gone off half-cocked in
Japan's favor and as willing now, for
consideration, TO take the other side. ia
pans navy is intact. while Russia needs a
new one. -
While not at all complimentary, this rep
recentation of America will not in the end
prove injurious. The Chinese will discover
that the boycott will not lower the bars
of exclusion, and the Russians that our
admiration and friendship for Japan are
not purchase BILE