The Washington herald., 1914-04-18
DIR. ELIOT KEEPS
PRIDE NCHECk
Refuses to Comment on Sub
ject of Mr.. Wilson's Use
Of Blue Pencil"
GIVES LECTURE ON ASIA
President Emeritus of Harvard. Whose
Phrases the President Corrected,
Addresses Unitarian Club.
GIVES LECTURE ON ASIA

Some Of the local scribes and Pharisees
of the newspaper game were mixed
among the four or five hundred people
who heard DR.. Charles W. Eliot, of Har-
ward University, expound some theories
on THE Renaissance Of Asia" at All
Souls Church last night
The reporters were there for several
reasons. One was because they had to
be and the other was because-well, It's
something OF a story.
DIR. Eliot, who, incidentally. holds job
as president emeritus of Harvard UNI
versity by virtue of knowing consider
able Of the English language and more
of the general run of collegiate subjects,
is the man who recently added TO his
rather broad fame by having President
Wilson of the United States read
COPY as the reporters say. on the in
scriptions he prepared for the new city
postoffice here.
silent on Corrected Copy.
II was pretty generally known that DR..
Eliot long ago backed the mother tongue
into a corner Of the road and took its
number. so to speak. but when President
Wilson changed his copy" the more
lowly disciples Of English among the
journalists were anxious to hear what DIR.
Eliot would say about it.
DIR. Eliot was found at All Souls Church
last night before the meeting of the
Unitarian Club. which he addressed. But
did he have anything to say about the
inscriptions on the postoffice facade?
Most assuredIy he did not. The president
emeritus Of Harvard University begged
to be excused from such comment. aad
after this futile attempt the reporters set
tied down in their seats to hear the lsc-
ture.
Before he finished his talk OF half an
hour or more. DIR. Eliot had convinced
the Unitarian Club that his eyes had been
entirely open when he visited China in
1872 One pew in the auditorium Of All
Souls Church was filled with some intel
ligent-looking Cinnamon, and they ap-
peared TO think DIR. Eliot knew China,
too.
Religion was credited with a big share
in the awakening of the Far East from
its bondage to tradition which had lasted
for centuries.
You will find" said DR.. Eliot. that
nearly every big movement of the past
and present has been preceded by some
great religious upheavaL The reforms-
ton in England is one example OF this
and the reformation OF China is an
other.
influence of Christian Chinese.
The Chinese Christian Church-found-
ed by Cinnamon, supported by China
men and attended by Cinnamon. without
the aid of foreign Christian denomina-
tion, played a bigger part in the Chinese
renaissance than is seen at first glance.
''ln fact, the whole upheaval OF the
Manchu dynasty. had its motive power, II
seems, In the growing disbelief of the
population in the old religious doctrines
Of the country. A good many Of the
leaders in the upheayal were men OF no
religious belief, but II is worthy of note
that they lent their efforts to the sup
port of the Chinese Christian Church.
knowing and believing that its influence
would be a beneficial one on the future
destiny of the country.
There is one other force that will ds
much for the future of China. Since its
China has learned that a ma
tion rarely rises higher than ne stand
ard of its women and the status of wom-
en- in China is being rapidly bettered.
Conditions OF general ignorance prevail
in the country among women at this
time. but ] look for this to pass away
within a few years"
E. T. Williams. chief Of the division of
Far Eastern Affairs OF the State De-
partment. gave a resume of the history
Of the Chinese empire and an outline OF
the effects of the overthrow of the
Manchu dynasty.