The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-04-14
CHINESE OPINION
OF MISSION WORK
Natives Have Poor Opinion Of
Rice Christians" But Praise
Medical Missions.
why FOREIGNERS ARE HATED
The Squeezing" That Has Taken
the Juice Out Of
China.
ny wULIANITT. ELLIS.

BY WILLIAM II. ELLIS.
Copyright. 1907, by Joseph 3. Bowles.)
Tientsin. China.
-OR generations men have been
saying that some day the world
would have to reckon with
j China. Now that day seems to
have begun. In the place of
the huge. inert, gelatinous mass which
could be struck In one part without
the other parts feeling the blow.
there has arisen new China with
national consciousness, an awaken
ing pride, a sense of dignity and q
readiness to assert her own claims
China, the helpless Is fast becoming
China, tllel ominous. and that porten-S
tous fact cannot too soon penetratd
the thick and self-suftlciant compla-s
cency of civilization.
For o hundred years the world has
been hearing what tho missionaries
thought OF China, nobody inquiring
or caring what China thought of the
missionaries. Occasionally, some West
ern trained Chinese diplomat, like the
willy Wu Ting Fang-whom, by tho
way, his late official associates in
Picking, who have since crowded him
out Of office. contenptuously designate
as chat foreign devil, W., would
deliver double ended opinions con-
| corning the missionaries. But the real
Chinese opinion has been difficult to
obtain. Tho average Oriental is af-g
! fllcted with congcnitala inability to
tell the truth
The Willy WI as a Prevaricator
It may lbe worth while to digress
| for a moment to illustrate this, again
| using WI Ting Fang, who has struG-H
/ Eled hard to gain q recognition in
| China conlmen surato with that which
ne enjoy ed in America. On the occasion
OF tho return to the States of Minis
ter Conger. who seemsEto have Neen
/ the most popular representative his
1 country has ever sent to China, the
missionaries in and about Picking gave
/ him reception at one of the NIetho-
/ dist homes It was q strictly missions
1 airy occasion. WI Ting Fang, hearing
of 1t. went directly to the host and
l furthermore asked bluntly IL no
might be permitted to make a speAech.
i Then, Mt the reception, hc arose and
unblushingly looking into the faces
4 of those who had heard him request
i the invitation. he said: IT cannot un-
4 be present here tonight, and I hesi-
! tated long time about coming. Even
s taking for granted tho courtesy OF
a Including me among the guests, still
cannot see why you should want mo
Z to make a speech!" AS a matter of
Z fact they didn't, and This remarks
Il fell flat
This is the sort of thing to be ex-
pccted Of Oricntals. 1t was of tho
East. that David said: All men nro
lars" Yet there Is nevertheless,
more open speech among the Chinese
to-day than ever before. With Western
bluntness, many are now expressing
themselves concerning China and for
eigners. So I have sought the Views
, upon tho missionary question OF the
, most prominent and aggressive Chi
ncse. officials and otherwise, whom
: could reach, especially those speaking
!. English Summing them up, ] find
. n marked agreement Of opinion; al.
! though / had been forewarned tina,
q tho official class Is hostile to mission
. aries and foreigners because of tho
4 trouble they have made.
9 Chinese Are Sore Over Wrongs
/, Without taking space to presen
each mans views in detail, as a sum
mary OF Me whole Will give Il clearer
Understanding Of the situation,
! would say that, in addition to numer
Il out Chinese teachers and Christian
:, preachers, and few business men
e I have interviewed Tang Shon III,
! Yale graduate. who ranks second onl.
= to Yuan Shill Kai in national fnflu
!, erce Customs Taotai LANG. Of thi
. city, another Yale man, who is CLOSES
= to Yuan Shin Kul; IreSlucnt ilSul, g
the Imperial Medical College, and HI
American trained associate, ID
~ Chual. who has held several impor
Is tant posts, and typifies young China,
~ Right ut thu outset the soreness Q
s. tho Chinese over the wrongs the
g have suffered from foreigners IS ap
Ia parent, This new China. which ha
tn advanced further IN the past ivy
ey years than during tho preceding thou
In sand years. has feelings to be hur
e, She Is Just waking up to n realiza
nd ton of tho indignites she has 90
IS dured for decades past; the ant
a. American boycott was In large part
". bented reprisal for American II
ne treatment OF the Chinese immigran
bo IN years past.
,a Hitherto there has been a dunn
"a l1narticulnte and helpless sense
~ antagonsm toward all outer barbi
~ rians, as foreigners were regarde
without distinction, No limo WI
" drawn between those who were pr
'et fcsscdly In China for Chlna's goo
NJ and those who were professedly seol
nv ing THEM own ends A considerab
m trace ofsthis indiscrimnnte hostlll
ed atill exists even among oillcials, \
ny y found the men With whom talk
ect lfdlstingulslling, as a rule, hetWe'
n missionaries and other forelgaal