The sun., 1909-12-29
WI EIHG-FAHG SAYS G0OD.BY
FAREWELL VISITS TO TIE
DEPARTING DIPLOMAT.

Instances of HIS AmeFicanizntlOn
Dr. WI Ting-fang leaves US this morn
ing-maybe for good, as he himself said
last evening. With his wife and his son q
wife and his grandson. DR.. WI win 60
to Europe on the Lusitania He won't
reach China until some time next March,
because he has mapped out a season OF
travel in England. Germany. France
and Italy.
He sat in big arm chair in his apart
ment at the Hotel Manhattan yesterday
afternoon debating farewell letters to
his friends all over the country. states
men, business men. philanthropists and
folk who have entertained him at one
time or another. Occasionally he would
stop debating TO receive callers and the
Interruptions came about every fve
minutes.
There was Ia Yung Yew. Chinese Charge
d'Afaires at Havana. who came to New
York especially 10 wish DR.. wu good-by;
Ii Kis Slang. II. Ho and Ii Shonkee
from Washington; Hsu Ping Cheu. the
Consul General at San Francisco; his
wife and his daughter. Miss Lily Hsu.
and Wong Him, as well as dozen other
Chinese officials and merchants. Ii Yung
Yew and most OF the others were brilliant
in yellow and red and green silks. and
Or. WI himself made rather an attractive
picture. He wore a dress of cleaning
golden brown silk with a black silk jacket
and black cap. the button OF which
was large diamond Get with opals-
Even with his picturesque dress DIR.
WI seemed more like an American mer-
oasnt or man OF affairs than a Chinese
diplomat. because he dictated exactly
as American business men do. with the
same celebrity and the knowledge OF the
conventional phrases that are commonly
used in correspondence.
Take this.- he would say to his Chi
nese secretary. a young man who is queue
less and extremely nimble with the pencil.
Take this, Mr.. ---. I cannot leave New
York without expressing my apprecis-
ton Of the courtesies you have extended
to me- and 50 on through perhaps a
hundred letters. DR.. Wu's English is
practically hawless. Occasionally inter
ruptions would come in the middle OF a
sentence. but after the caller had left
Dr.. WI would take up the latter where
he had left on, seldom asking the secre-
tAry to refresh his memory.
OF course there were a dozen reporters
who wanted to find out IL DR.. WI had
any new idea to express about Ameri-
cans or Americauisms. and DIR. WI gave
them all the time he could spare. He
has always liked American newspaper
men, even when they got him up in the
middle Of the night TO ask foolish ques-
questions.
Il think" said DR.. WI. -the only time
| ever became angry at newspaper men
was when some OF them came to my house
in Wsshington at ESQ o'clock in the morn
ing and asked me where Twas going TO
send my con 90 school l said TO those
reporters, Do you want me to tell you
nv idea of WashingtoEs reportersr And
they esid they would very much like TO
know what T thought about them. So
] said Well, You sit around table all
night trying 10 think OF the most foolish
thing you can ask WI. and the reporter
who thinks OF the moet foolish thing
gete prize fnom the rest
DIR. Wu,~ said one OF his callers. do
you mind telling how old you arel'
as fash. You may think you know.
but you don't know Nobody knows how
old he 10. Alive have is the word Of our
parents that We are OF such and such an
age. think rm over 100. but my family
informs me that I'm only little past 90.
year and ] will tell you how do il.
Once drank whiskey. just little
vhiskey. and sometimes 1 drank cham
payne, but ! have quit that: A little un-
: osahs g Saye Noa sbou. @s ssns
| am not vegetarian. but sanitarian-
one who eats only simple. wholesome
foods. My luncheon to-day was COM
posed Of corn fakes. sweet potatoes, a
little bread and butter. milk and apples.
you would live longer and be much hap
pier. But you won't Lots OF people l
have said farewell to will be dead when
come back-that Is. " ever return.
am not 30 SURF that I shall. Maybe IL
do return shall como sailing into New
York in my airship. Don't be surprised
TO see WI land on the top OF one OF these
great buildings some day.
Some one wanted to know how DR..
WI felt about the matter OF votes for
women, so DIR. Wa made little speech on
that subject.
-whenever majority Of the women in
the United States prove that they really
want To vote they should be allowed TO
vote" he said. And there isn't any
Legislst,ire or Congress- brave enough to
II stands now. a majority OF the women
have not shown that they want to vote.
Most women seem to be lukewarm about
1t. have heard a good deal Of talk and
some Sp6eChe8 from women aDOut tnis
matter. but IL seems. after all. as II the
what do you call them? Sunragettesf
That is it--as II the sufragettes are in
minority. Still, I have noticed that
women in any country are pretty apt to
get What they want. IL may take time
Have you been TO the theatres lately.
Or. WI was asked. -and what kind Of
plays do you like best7"
I'm too busy TO go much TO the theatre:
said DR. WI. "A busy man hasn't much |
time for plays. When I do 60 1 like to
zee something bright and cheerful. TO
see pretty girls and hear lively music. |
! do not like heavy. serious plays, BECAUSE
] want to be entertained and made to
laugh. Some people think that the mis- |
sion Of the stage Is educational. Maybe |
II is, W ont argue with those people; but
its mission as FAR as ! am concerned Is
amusement -
Another reason why ! do not like to |
attend the theatre much is because most |
~ your theatres are 30 poorly ventilated. |
The air is so bad. especially when you sit |
IN a box and hot waves come up TO you.
II is not at all nice"
Mr.. WI said that he did not know what
he was RoinS to do when he returned 10 |
China. He could not say whether he |
v ould be in Official life
. "Nou know that am n laWyAP and one |