The Detroit times., 1911-06-28
SAYS CHINESE
LIKE AMERICANS
Impressed by Altruistic Attitude OF
United States, Declares Judge
Thayer, Here on Visit.


ted States court for China, was In De-
troit. Tuesday. on his way to Ann Ar
Dor where he is TO receive the honor
airy degree of Doctor OF Laws. on
Thursday, at the commencement exer-
cises OF the University OF Michigan
Judge Thayer graduated from the lit
erary department OF the University IN
1870 and went from there to the
Columbian Law School In Washing
ton for his legal training. After prac-
ticing law in the national capital Tor
a number of years, he was appointed
to his position In the United States
court In Shanghai, In December, lsoS,
and has since been presiding over that
court. II is In recognition OF his SER
vices In building up American juris-
prudence In China that the university
bestows the honorary degree upon MIN.
The American is In high favor with
the Chinese, In comparison with other
foreigners, because our country mas
never harrassed China nor pushed her
for territorial concessions" said the
Judge. Especially Is this true among
the more intelligent classes, who rec
ognize that the attitude OF the United
States toward China has been In a
high degree altruistic. American
trade with China Is developing, but
Il Is developing slowly. 1t Is greater
now than II ever was before. Little
of our products goes to China In
American bottoms, however. In the
DAYS Of the sailing vessels a large por-
ton of tho Chinese trade was carried
by American ships. but now the flag
Ia seldom seen I'm their harbors. The
recent loan in which American capt.
tai participated will help to bring a
fair share of the new railroad business
to this country. The Chinese now
want to build their own railroads and
they will be Of immense service In de-
yeloping the enormous resources or
China.
"The recent famine affected only
one province and the greatest OF the
distress is over now. The Chinese are
so Door that any shortage in the rice
crop, with the resulting higher prices,
causes a famine among the lower
classes.
1.-The Chinese are potentially very
great people. II the western nations
would only let them develop along
their own way they would make a
great power. The Chinese merchant
is model for the world in honesty.
The Chinese are not homogeneous
nation-the power Is in the hands OF
the Manchus, who are not really Chin
csc. The Cantonese hate the Manchus
more than they do the foreign devils
gress In recent years toward govern
mental reform. 1t must not be sup
posed, because the government Is auto
cratic, that the Chinese official can ig-
more public opinion any more than
the American politician can. In some
respects the government Is quite Dem
ocratic and the officials have to keep
their ears close TO the ground. The
gentry, the large middle class, exercise
a great influence. Many OF the con-
cessions asked by foreign powers have
been absolutely blocked by public opin-
ion. At the head of this movement for
reform are the Chinese who have been
educated in America and England. You
find one or more OF these on the Official
stan in each province.
THE work OF the missionaries In
China has been more along educatlon-
al and social lines in recent years,
and great progress is being made. The
evangelization proper is going forward
slowly because the Chinese Is very
conservative. Furthermore the edu-
Gated Chinese has as keen a mind as
any man you can meet, and II takes
some pretty strong argument to move
him from his own philosophical con-
viction.
Eventually China will work out her
great future and the United States
will be in the best position of any ma
ton in the world on account of the
altruistic attitude that has been main
tanned toward China"
Judge Thayer is native Of Wayne
county, his former home being In Ply
mouth. He will return to China after
short vacation In this country.