The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-08-15
Eminent SCHOLAR
TOURS THE ORIENT
DR.. Ernest de Witt Burton Talks
Interestingly Concerning
Observations in China
John D. Rockefeller Said to Be
Planning Great Educational
Enterprise for Chinese

DR.. Ernest de Witt Burton of the
University of Chicago, who has been in
the far east for about year studying
the educational conditions in the orient.
arrived here yesterday on the liner
Siberia. DR.. Burton. who is noted
scholar, was detailed on the mission
from which he is now returning as the
preliminary step in the inauguration of
movement for the educational de-
velopment of the Chinese people.
Behind this movement is said to be
John D. Rockefeller. and the enter
prise, which will be conducted on lines
suggested by DR.. Burton and Professor
Thomas c. Chamberlain, also of the
Chicago university, who was in China
with DR.. Burton, Will involve the ex-
penditure of $1,000. 900.
WILL PREACH HERE TODAY
DR.. Burton, who was accompanied on
his travels by his wife and daughter
and by Horace G. Reed, his secretary.
was met in quarantine by Rev. George
E. Burlingame of the First Baptist
church OF this city, whose pulpit DIR.
Burton will fill this morning
Dr.. Burton left Chicago last July
He visited Constantinople, Syria and
six months in China and two months
in Japan and Korea.
The political unrest in India, he be-
lieves, is neither so serious nor so
widespread as commonly supposed, and
no probability exists of any change in
the British rule over the land. He lee
tured in India, and an attempt was
made to assassinate Sir Andrew Fraser,
lieutenant governor of Bombay, while
l,s.- -.
at one of DR.. Burton's lectures.
IN WESTERN CHINA
In western China, out of the beaten
trail of tourist travel, he found most
to interest him This side trip occu-
Chentu was made by steamer, house
boat and sedan chair. There were six
in the Burton party, and they had So
servants to take care of them, as well
as military escort.
For II days they travelled over a
stone road. hundreds of years old and
well preserved.
This road" said Doctor Burton,
runs through the most thoroughly cul :
tivated country / ever saw. At night
we stayed in Chinese inns, which are
extremely uncomfortable. There was
nothing else TO do, however, as during
our IA days journey along that road
saw only one spot where there was
room to pitch a tent.
SELF-SUPPORTING MILLIONS
In this province there are 6O.o00,000
people. They neither export nor import
anything. Their territory is absolutely
lself-supporting.
.'Chentu, our destination, in the mid :
idle of this almost inaccessible land, is
1.-THE finest native city / saw in China.
II is far superior to Picking. In the
city proper are about 100000 inhabi-
itants The population of the suburbs
Is about 10,000,O00 Chentu is a walled
city and in many respects quite mod
ern. The streets are clean and well
lighted; there are no beggars. business
lis good, and in the Enclosure where
! the imperial city once stood are six
schools where 1900 students are being
educated
THE "SQUEEZE" SYSTEM
China is making a tremendous eff
fort to fit herself for her responsible
ties as a world power. 1t is a big job,
but 1 believe she viii succeed. China S
great need, as 1 see it, is leadership,
land her heaviest handicap is the sys-
tenn that fosters squeeze" Official
positions are farmed out and custom
ALMOST compels an official TO engage IN
what we would call graft.
! office in China is for sale. 1 know
of one official who pays $250,000 year
for job that carries salary of $1,000
year, but which yields the holder
about 100000 a year.
The prince regent is doing his best
believe, to rule China wisely"