The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-09-17
CHINESE PEOPLE WANT
LEARNING OF ANGLO-SAX(1N.

Correspondents OF the Associated
Press.)
shanghai China. Aug. 4, 190s.--A
competent authority on tho Far East
declares that the Chinese have made
more progress during the last five years
IMAM any other nation on earth, not ex-
cepting Japan.
such advance In iron and coal produc-
ton as has the United States, but he
contends that China has made wider
ana more profound change In her whole
attitude toward western civilization
imam has any other nation.
The latest proof that China's face is
set towar progress Is found In. the I'M
periai decree issued last Sunday prom
ising change of laws. While this
decree does not promise a constitution.
as careless readers have inferred, new
crtheless 1t points in that direction.
more vital indication of progress
Is found in the recent imperial decree
making some mastery of western learn
ing condition of future employment
In the government service. This de-
cree does not affect existing officehold-
ers. and does not apply to candidates
Tor office who have already completed
the prescribed course of Confucian
learning and have received the first
ana second degrees. But the signifi-
SeefaSO vi TIRE utcTtb Is IOuHQ IN the
fact that 1t prescribes the Identical
condition for future candidates for Of
fee, which the young Emperor pre-
scrfbed eight years ago and which led
to the Boxer uprising. 1t Is signifi-
cant that the Dowager Empress, who
then retired the young Emperor for his
radicallsm. now issues In his name the
Identical decree which produced the
revolution.
A still more striking sign than this
paper decree Is found in the fact that
Yuan Shih Raj, the leading Viceroy of
the empire, has already established
more than 5000 primary and secondary
schools ain the Chill province in order
to prepare the young people of his
province for the new government
courses
He Is attempting to introduce wes-
tern learning and indeed the English
language into these schools as rapidly
as possible This creates a strong de-
mand for American teachers, but the
pay is too low to Justify young people
coming from the United States to ac-
cept these minor positions.
In lieu of American and English
teachers, the Japanese are being EN-
ployed to teach western learning, and
In some cases the English language
The 'pidgin" English, which is taught
by some of the Chinese scholars would
indeed be laughable were 1t not for the
fact that the Introduction of the Eng
lfsh language may possibly become gen
eral, and IL so may carry with it the In
PRODUCTION of western civilization
AS Alexander's adoption of the Greek
language enabled that conquered ma
ton to transform the civilization of
western Asia: as the adoption of Ro-
man law and the Latin language by the
Mortimer carried with 1t Latin Chris
tianifV fhrnlIphnnt
alence of English speech in China, du-
ring the next few years, will carry with
1t western sciences and western civil
ization.
An indication pointing to the grow
Ing influence of Japan in China Is
found in the fact that eleven thousand
Chinese students are now in Toxic
striving to secure from the Govern
ment Institutions apd private schools
the western language The Young
Mems Christian Association in Shang-
hal has seen the significance of this
movement, and has sent two Ameri-
can and three or four young Chinese
Christians to Toxic n keep in touch
with this group of Chinese students 4
As some Chinese students are return
ing from and going to Toxic each
month. at least fifteen thousand young
Cinnamon will pursue their studies in
the Japanese capitol in 1906. AS these
young men will furnish the -uture
Yuan Shi Kais. Chang Chih-tungs and
WI Ting FaaSs of China one can
readily see thu influence which the
Japanese will acquire in the Chinese
Empire.
AT least two or three thousand of
these young men would have studied
In the United States had 1t not been
for our harsh enforcement of the Elk
clusion Law, 1t now looks as IL Japan
Will become the school master Of the
Orient, as Germany has been the school
master of Europe and America. But
the United States may lead the race
after 1t is out of school
Another sign of the times is the