Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-07-23
Recent Imperial Decree Adopts
Anglo-Saxon as Official
Tongue of the Empire.
OF SWEEPING NATURE
Necessity for a Standard Single Me-
dunn for Technical and Scientific
Education Caused Thrones Action.
Especial p:spatch)
PEKiN. saturday.

ElNlUE lUlptElht SANCTION 10 tn'
hadoption OF English as the ofncial Ian
guage for all schools Of modern learn.
Ing established or TO be hereafter estab.
lished In this empire the Prince Regent has
not only definitely shaped the course oil
! present and future education for the
, myrisds Of people under the protection
q OF the Dragon Throne, but has settled
for all time the problem Of what shall
be the dominant language Of the world
r Far reaching as Is this decree in its
bearing upon the education OF present
and especially future, generations OF
the Chinese people. It possesses an even
larger significance from the fact that II
gives the stamp of approval Of China,
with her population comprising one
fourth the human race, TO English as
the world language.
More than any other ruler OF race
of another language-more than all such
monarchs combined has the Prince OF
lChun contributed 10 the eventual suprem-
scy Of English. II the immediate results
OF his action are OF vast Importance TO
China. as Judged from any standpoint,
they unquestionably are. the secondary.
but no less certain. results are Of as great
Importance to the world az large.
To those who see in the Thrones de-
cree nothing more than its bearing upon
the existing schools directly concerned
there may seem something fantastic IN
this idea OF its larger influence. on It's
face the decree does nothing more than
declare that English shall be the stan
idard language for technical and scientific
education throughout the Empire. Its d.
rect application being TO colleges and
high schools supported by the central and
provincial governments.
SINGLE MEDIUM NECESSARY.
The necessity OF a standard single me
dium through which these branches Of
modern lea rning should he taught has long
been recognized by those interested in edu-
cation. and II this decree had no other ef-
feet It would be OF immense value in pro-
viding such medium. rather than that the
whole purpose OF modern teaching should
be rendered null by continuance OF Tower
OF Babel conditions that have prevailed.
mortal Of the Ministry OF Education which
forms the basis Of the Thrones decree
They have been created by the struggle of
nations for domination Of Chinese educa-
ton and OF China. German. French and
Japanese educators, and the Chinese
trained in their schools, have We'd with
English speaking educators in endeavoring
to promote the progress OF their respective
Ian guages. And, while the predomlnatlng
language has been English. these others
have gotten sufficient foothold In spots 10
give the fabric OF modern education some
thing OF a crazy quilt aspect. Heretofore,
however. It has been impossible TO secure
the much desired Standard zation-this due
somewhat TO contention between the vari-
Gus elements striving for supremacy. but
more, perhaps. TO lack OF interest on the
part OF Pekin officialdom.
Recently there has been an active re
newal OF agitation on the part OF foreign
educated Chinese. who realize the made
Quacy Of their language to accurately con
vey the meaning OF Western science, and
this brought fruit In the shape of the
highly important memorial from the Min
istry OF Education 10 which reference has
been made.
DIFFICULTIES OF TRANSLATION.
This memorial frankly recognizes the
imposabiity OF adequately translsting
into Chinese the scientific and technical
terms so essential TO an understanding OF
modern sciences. 1t points out some of
the incongruities OF the present system, or
lack Of system. under which directors OF
different institutions have designated diff
ferent foreign languages In their require
ments for students, citing, by way OF illus
tratlon. instances OF the use OF one Ian
guage in the high schools given over 10
the study OF some one science agriculture
Is especially mentioned-while in the col
lcge for which the students OF these
schools are preparing themselves a differ
ent foreign language is required.
In the opinion OF the Ministry OF Bduca-
tion. the time has come when there should
be uniformity. and for reasons eogenty
expressed the ACCESSIBILITY Of adopting
English as the common foreign language g.
for all these institutions is deemed man
fest
Now that the new system OF education
has been tried for some years and that
education has intimate relations with the
preparations for a constitutional govern
ment." the Ministry of Education de
clares, 1T is necessary that a. much prog
ress as is possible should be our aim.
so as to crafty the desire OF the govern
ment to promote education among the peo-
pie.
Now OF the foreign languages English
is most extensively used in the world II
was the first introduced into China and
IL most widely employed here. The num-
Der OF English text books imported Ia far
greater than those imported from other
II IL, therefore, proposed that
In tho different schools teaching technical
and scientific subjects the English Ian
guage be adopted. In the case Of schools
which DO not now include foreign Ian
guages in the curriculum they must In the
future be taught The study OF foreigpll