Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-06
misunderstanding AL ERARLoR

much he will probably bite off more than
he can chew and die in the attempt.
X
During my audience with Tuan Fang
l was received in n large parlor furnished
in Chinese style. His excellency and my
self sat side by side at a big black
table upon which were refreshments OF
various kinds. Tea was brought in as
we talked together. and our audience
was terminated with glass of cham
payne.
The first subject cf conversation was
Tuan Fang's trip around the world. He
was sent abroad to study modern poll
tics and to plan a constitutional govern
ment for China. Upon his return he
wrote the memorial which formed the
basis of the changes now taking place
all over this country. He was the au-
thor of the new constitution, and might
be called the father of the new China
I asked him whether he thought that
China would actually install a modern
government. He replied:
Undoubtedly 1t will. Our people nave
come to appreciate that we must adapt
ourselves to modern conditions and be
ruled along modern lines. We believe
that our Oiu TttUDuS Sotdy pul " -
would add to them the good that the
western world has discovered. We are
studying modern politics, and with
short time we shall have constitution
and parliament. According to our pres
emit program, that time will come within
eight years"
"Will not this make great changes In
China"
eyes. 1t will make us by far the
greatest people of Asia. 1t Will orlng
ont nf
resources which are unsurpassed In tne
world We shall build railroads anu
oren our mines. We shall start 1actoiles
and shall produce not only for our enor.
nous home market Out aiso LOT .a
of other countries You must remember
that we are industrious. We nave FKieu
hands and quick brains, and, indeed, tho
future is hard to predict
"Nill China develop a new literature!
81 cannot see why not We have our
own classics which have come down
from generation to generation, through
out the ages. We have a certain kinu
of mind which has been trained upon
these classics, and which is recognized as
one Of the ablest of the world. IhaI
mind is now to be turned to other SUD
jects 1t is to deal with the western
Sciences and methods of thought. ana OUT
of the whole may come something en-
tirely new. We may turn to invention
again. We were the original discoveries
of the compass, gunpoWder anu printing,
as well as of other things. We shau
hardly square the circle or invent per.
petual motion. but the big discoveries OF
the future may come from U.S.
How about the Chinese language. VIII
it be changed?"
Il do not know 1t will be modified by
our western studies. Indeed, | think man.
kind ought to have a world language
one for all nations and tribes. 1t might
be something like Volapuk or Esperanto.
From language the conversation dr1fted
to history Tuan-Fang described the
wonders of ancient Egypt and the JOY
he had in the museums of Europe. he
spoke of a national exposition which he
had planned for Marking some time thus
wear, and said that he hoped to AID
China in establishing national museum
of it's own.
At this point the yiceroy asked me If I
would like to see his collections, and he
led me TO another part Of his palace. We
passed through rooms filled with carvings.
rare bronzes and ancient marbles, any one
of which would be treasure in our Ma
tional Museum at Washington. j remenl-
her one table Of solid bronze which was
beaut fully carved. Ii was two feet high.
four feet long and upon its metal top the
tablecloth rotting had oxidized the bronze
and left its mark. That table was several
thousand years old. 1t was III use at the
time the Great Pyramid was built. LOO
wears before Rome was founded, and more
than !, 400 before Belshazzar had his great
drinking bout, In which ne saw the hanu-
writing on the wall which foretold the
doom Of his empire. The table was
drinking table such as the old Chinese
emperors employed at their feasts. 1t
was dug out of the ground near one or
the ancient ca pitfalls Of Shansi seven years
ago. and ten bronze drinking vessels were
found upon it. The viceroy had these
brought out and placed upon the table to
show me.
Leaving this room we went into others
containing beaut fully carved bronze
Ruddhas over two thousand years old.
and tablets of Chinese writing, dug from
towns which were standing when our
Savior was born in Bethlehem. In one
room. filed with marbles, / saw stone
tablets which dated as far back as lSU
r G, and in another / examined the
viceroy's Egyptian collection. comprising
MANY statues and mummies. As LETT his
exceIlency- gave me catalogue or his
archaeological treasures, and also rare
old porcelain vase as a memento of my
visit. FRANZ G 1-AfSf EN- fI1s'