The Washington herald., 1909-01-25
Editor Ne wassinEtop Reald:

Editor he Washington Herald:
We read much these days about the
awakening going on in China, and by
writers who may or may not have Wis
tied any portion OF that empire We are
made aware that II is a country where
laundering is not the principal business
To make clear that there is something
doing in China, worldly people have dwelt
at length upon the erection Of factories,
the building Of railroads, docks. navy
yards. gun foundries. the drilling Of
troops. and. finally. the adoption OF West
ern business methods.
In these things, they think. consists the
awakening. But such changes may be
only expediencies resOrted TO by the Chi
nese for the defense and protection OF
their country. II We add 10 these eX-
Pediencies the unequaIed patience, fru-
gality. industry, and leniency Of the Chi
nese. and the fact that they have always
had sufficient elevation Of mind to love
virtue for its own sake and not for any
hope Of reward OF fear OF punishment. We
may not deride those who ask II the
world is not coming 10 COnfUcius-
Although we supposed that China, with
one-third OF the worlds population, was
much alive, she has been frequently pro
nounced dead by foreigners who desired
10 travel through ali parts Of her terri
tory al the speed Of sixty miles an hour.
From religious sources We gledn that
any regeneration in China IS due 70 the
! work Of the Christian missionaries
n Of on
Herald We learn from AIT. William T.
Ellis the following: "AH through its his
tory Christianity has instiIIed into the
nation q ferment Of divine discomfort II
has made men dissatisfied with old condi-
tons and has set them 10 aspiring for a
better life. So il has been in China The
missionaries have undoubtedly been a
potent factor in bringing about the new
day that seems 70 have dawned. The
adamantine conservatism and self-sUfh-
cheney Of old China have been riven by
the resistless power Of the supernatural
Gospel"
The foregoing statement does not seen
70 coincide with the conditions. nor with
the words Of those native Chinese most
competent 10 speak on the subject. nOta-
bly, Mr.. WI Ting-fang, Chinese Minister
to the United States. on The teachings OF
COnfuCius." a lecture delivered before The
Society for Ethical Culture al Carnegis
Music Hall, in New York; Mr. Kung
Hsien-ho Of Shanghai and Hon PUng
Kwang-yu. commissioner 20 the World
Columbian Exposition. in papers read be
fore the Worlds Parliament Of Religion.
in Chicago.
The paper by Hon. PUng Kwang-yu val
a long and able one. and In setting fortl
the teachings OF COnfUcius he explained
why Il was futile 10 attempt 70 Chris
tianize China. and pointed out wher'
many Of the sayings and teachings OF
COnfUCiuS were paTalieled by those Of
Christ more than so years afterward
Near the close Of his paper he declares
Christian missionaries in China can ID
neither good nor harm TO the power o
Confucianism.
IF all the useless trees could BY an
natural process be turned into frs anS
oaks and al the nOxiOus weeds into sesa
NUNS and epidendrums Christ would no
have said that the sun rises on the evi
and the good and the rain falls on tn
Just and unjust There is nothing new
and strange in these IDEAS as they hav
been known 10 all the nations from tim
immemOriaL
Mr. Ellis assures Us that, thanks Z
A--E N4---NA s--f1[rS anu vr1kl&ll- AalEEE
be no partition of China, and that II
ten years or less she viii be able to tax
care OF herself Perhaps this means tha
there viii be no more lOOting OF n
Forbidden City by the allied armies 0
the world. and that the people whom "
pity for their moral and religious dark
ness viii not again witness their altar
and places Of worship and reverenc
turned into objects Of contempt and prof
anation.
Remembering that China has taken car
Of herself for ages, Il was an easy con
clusion ,reaCh that in ten years NOR
she would still have the diplomacy. skill
and valOr 10 enable her TO maintain be
position in the preservation Of her in
tegrity and in the avoidance Of entanglin
alliances 2. ". FARRELLY.