Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-22
ANSWERS CHINESE LETTERS.
Bryan Defends American Civilization
Against That of Far East

Against That Of Far East.
civilian ]. Bryan has written q little
book entitled Letters to a Chinese OFF,
cial." It is a reply to Letters from a
Chinese Omcial," which was widely COM
mented upon in America and Great Britain
when published three years ago.
Letters from Chinese Official was
severe contrast Of Chinese civilization
with that of England, and in an introduce
ton the author applied to America every
thing that he said about England. 1t was
surmised at the time that the letters were
not those of an oriental. and Mr.. Bryan in
q postscript to his Introduction says he
has learned they were written by an Eng
lishman from material furnished by a
Chinese.
Mr.. Bryan has divided his book into
eight letters The first deals with the as
sertton made in the earlier book that
China's civilization Is superior to that Of
the United States.
''The picture that you draw Is not true
to life; you hold up the best that you can
find in your country Cor even better than
you can fnd) and. comparing it with the
worst that you can find in Christian coun-
spirit Of superiority 1t would not be fair
to Judge China by her coOlie class, al
though that class constitutes large ele-
msnt of her population: neither Is 1t fair
diplomats who, while sneering at western
civilization, have literally borrowed from
It; we must judge by the average man
which Chinese environment has produced
and this average man does not approach
in mental strength moral stamina or high
conception Of life the product OF Christian
civilization"
You have condemned. think justly"
Mr.. Bryan says In another place. 1.-The
opium war waged against you by England
but your protest would have more weight
IL you did not devote 80 much of the soil
of China to the cultivation of the poppy
and If your countrymen did not carry the
vice into every country into which they
60"
Answering an argument against labor
saving machinery, which. 1t was asserted.
was an incentive to sordid struggle for
money, Mr.. Bryan says:
You complain that the spirit has been
lost in an unseemly scramble for wealth.
In this I am constrained to believe you
grievously err. / would deny it If asserted
OF any of the European nations. but most
earnestly dispute it in regard to my own
country. At no time during a century have
moral forces been more potent than they
are in America today; at no time has the
conscience been more sensitive; at no time
has a larger percentage of the people been
engaged in altruistic work."
Again Mr.. Bryan observes: mo more
accurate distinction can be drawn between
China and the western world than when
you suggest that our nations conceive that
they have a mission to redeem and civilize
the world while your nation has no mis-
sion and Is satisfied to solve its own prob
lens without burdening itself with the
problems of other people. Better" he
holds, SIS the nation that goes forward In
civilizing work than a nation which.
wrapped in the contemplation OF its own
immaculateness. sleeps the precious years.
away, indifferent to the worlds welfare
and unmindfui Of misery that might be re-
lieved"