The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-09-19
By Frederick Moore
Author OF 'The Balkan Trail" and
"The Passing of Morocco"

boys, go VIC took compassion ON this
forfnidable.looking guard, promptly in
forming them that the sticks we car
ried were only for the purpose of direct.
ing our boys. for VIC had no intention
or forcing an entry upon the four-year-
old emperor. Our only desire-we at
length succeeded in explaining-was TO
take a picture of the stalwart guard,
who would, we knew, stoutly defend
the gate If any unauthorized person at
tempted to pass it's portals. Where
upon beams Of relief came over the
faces of the curious guardsmen, and at
our request they posed amiably for the
picture.
An Interesting Story.
The story Of the entry of foreign
ministers to Peking is very interesting.
Within the memory of men still living
the first British ambassador to the Chi
nese court sailed up the Pei Ho to-
wards this capital in native boat
which, unknown to him. fiaunted at her
masthead a banner bearing the inso-
lent and of course, untrue inscription
HTribute bearer from the country of
England.
Only within paratlvely recent
years have foreigners passed through
the many gates Of the Forbidden city
with dignity fitting to their rank and
the countries represented. For many
years ambassadors from Russia and
Great Britain-the foremost countries
in opening China to foreign trade
endeavored in vain TO obtain satisfac-
tory access to the palace of the son
of heaven. The mandarins, who have
always sought to preserve an absurd
sanctity to the Chinese court, were only
willing to pass the ambassadors into
the imperial precincts on one condition
that they should perform the kow-
tow before the emperor. But none would
submit to go through this humiiatIng
performance.
In one instance, Russian emjssary
turned back at the great wall of China,
after having travelled by caravan right
across Mongolia. In another case, a
| British minister was ipsulted and sent
back to his ship. after arriving within
DAYS march of the capital, because
| the mandarins conducting him had
falsely reported to the throne that he
was daily practicng the approved Chi.
nese fashion of kissing the earth-and
after such misstatement they dared
not take him into the imperial pres
ence to expose their duplicity-
Some foreign ambassadors were will
ing to accord TO the emperor of China
the same Difference they would show
their own monarchs, or, - an alter
native, they would agree to perform
the kow-tow on condition that man.
darins of rank equal TO their own would
make the same obeisance before pic
ture of the rulers of their respective
lands. But the Chinese. in the days
prior to the war with Japan, were most
contemptuous of the outer world, es-
pecially of the barbarians' from Eu-
rope and America. One reason for their
contumely was the fact that all the
people of the west who had made their
appearance in the towns of the coast
were traders, come to purchase silks
and other products of China. and the
Chinese consider trndesmen the lowest
class of breadwinners,
How They Rank.
According to the opinion in this coun.
try the scholar ranks first in the social
scale, the agriculturist next, third
comes the laborer, the toiler with his
hands-and last Of all the merchant
Proud and unintelligenr officials, ig-
norant of the lands beyond the seas,
had, therefore, no mind to present to
their emperor, on any but humiliating