The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-02-23
.EX MINISTER WI
UPHOLDS BOYCOTT
China's Former Envoy to America
Says Chinese Are Right in
Their Stand.

Picking, Feb. 23.-Wu- Ting Fang,
former minister to the United States
from China, when interviewed for the
first time today on the existing situa-
tion in China, spoke in support Of the
boycott.
Whiting Fang is now living, quietly
in Picking, devoting his time to codi-
flying the laws of China, one Of the
numerous reforms under way. He suf-
fered for a long. time from deafness
from the effects of the explosion of the
bomb near him at the railway station
last September, but has now recovered.
Speaking of prese< conditions, WI
Ting Fang said:
"China is at crisis and is passing
thru transition STAGE. Her states
men and people feel that China needs
| reform, but there are great differences
of opinion regarding the means. There
are several classes of reformers. There
are those who speak foreign languages
and who have been abroad and who
have had experience on both sides of
useful reforms, but not too radical, SO
as to make China first able to stand
| upon her own feet. The number of
| these sensible reformers is few. I am
| one Of them.
"The ruling classes also know that
something should be done, but they
| are at their wits end to know what
to do ....
Students Are Rash. -.
"The third class is composed of
young students, who are too rash. They
need training and experience. @~.'
| "Financia1 reforms should be car
ried out in the first place, but without
foreign advice and capital it would be
impossible to do so under present con
| ditiOns.
! 81 was working out a scheme which
had to be abandoned because it was
necessary to call on foreign. advice
| The new coinage is a stop-gap.
| Zone thing upon which the majority
| Of Chinese are agreed is that China hal
been deprived of many rights by con
cessions and territorial grants and b.
! the way her people have been treated
| by foreigners in China and foreign
| countries. ~
! "Many Chinese who have gon,
abroad to America, Australia and tn,
| Philippines write home complaining o:
arbitrary determinations made agains
the Chinese which dare not be at
| tempted against other foreigners. There
fore everyone is angry and hence tn
boycott of American goods, illustrating
the feeling against the unjust exclu
| sion laws. It has spread over all China
and is solely in retaliation against un
just discrimination and is not antifor
eign.
Not Hostile to Foreigners.
",The Chinese people and official
are on good terms with all foreigner
and have no hostile feelings towart
them. The Chinese merchants have tn
best feeling toward foreign merchants
"The majority of the people in tn
interior are Indifferent to all foreigner
travelling in the interior, who writ
that they are well treated, with no sign
Of hostility against them.
| "These rumors of antiforeign feeling
are not well founded. Sensible mel
| advise boycotters and agitators to b
reasonable and only to boycott good
and not to treat persons unkind1y, blu
to continue their friendship as before
/ Unfortunately disturbances in sew
eral places are now arising from tn
| boycott, but this is no sign Of an out
break against foreigners >.2s;%-@&
Court Is Nervous. i*='.~5
The court is nervous over the poss
bility Of trouble Feb. "a. The pres
dent Of the Chinese foreign board al
preciates the possibility Of an. ant
dynastic rising. The German legatio
last night doubled it's sentries on az
count Of the posting of antiforeign plat
ards at Tientsin. ma =.