The Anderson daily intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1915, 1914-03-10
PRAC-
TICED IN CHINA
The Asiatic Republic Being Ruth
bessIy Plundered for
Antiquities

New York. March 9-Tn a mono
graph called "Plunder and Destruc-
| tion of Antiquities in China" the Asia
tic Institute of New York calls atten-
! tiOn to the vandalism; thatha apepar-
ed In China by which she Is being
ruthlessly plundered OF her antiquities.
The statement places the responsi-
bility for this situation on the devel-
opment of the present European musi-
um and collecting system. 1t consti-
tues an appeal to nations and organi-
| cations to call halt in this wide
spread plunder. often involving blood
shed in the interests OF science and
| OF fair play for China and her COM
| ing generations.
Tho monograph contains private OFF,
cial and public pape 1t voices
| Chlnas protests thus:
"The Asiatic Institute has received
| Chinese protests dating back six years
emphasizing Chinese adherence OF the
| European system, whose practices
have now invaded China. These prac-
tices are widespread pillaging of tenn
| pies and sacred places OF the dead and
| other auceint works in Africa and
throughout Asia, in the name of sup
erJor civilization, punitive warfare,
| science or other subterfuge. They
protest against the introduction into
China of q foreign conception of time,
OF, &cience and Of history by newer
nations whose sense of antiquity as
peculiarly exemplified In their muse
! um system enables them to partici-
pate in and foster the destruction and
robbery OF holy things"
| The havoc and destruction referred
to Is specified as follows:
"ln the revolutionary interregnum
between the winter OF 1911-12 and the
ummer OF 1913 sculptures and other
antiquities native to China under
went destruction on large scale by
! foreign and native vandals In the in
| terest OF foreign dealers ana museums
| In 1913 there was q general divis-
ion among museums of the world in
Guiding at least two American muse
ums, of several hundred cases of
aculptural fragments broken from
| their settings by one and the same
body of vandals. This evil has grown
up SO suddenIy-it has come about
| since 190S-that foreign peoples and
foreign governments have not appEe-
hoftfed It. mo one la aware of IL ex-,
eff$the museums ii Involved, ,r. thair
| agents and Intermediates land the,
alafmed Chinese. ss,,,.at1 n W., .ln,,
lbs q, statement, made TO The, Assc-
elhtad Press. the secretary OF the
AalAetc inatttllta says :. 4 s..;5
lTAli signs seem to; Indicate that, de- de-
predet ions, have commenced upon the
archs illogical and art wealth OF China
| 90 an extent even greater than the
! ssvnRdalism with which Europe. visited
the art and beauty or the shores OF the
7 f-AARaiterranean., The market :, for
Chinese antiquities, particularly
sculptures came with the close. OF the
Russo-Japanese war, but no nation
bears the stigma OF being chief van
dal In China, The market is an in
ternational one. and has been devei-
oped under 5GpaneSe AID European
direction with Paris as headquarters.
So well has the market been worked
by the dealers that the increase in
prices or Chinese sculptures In the
past i've or six years has been forty
or fifty times. For example one piece
OF sculpture of North Wei times-ninth
century A. D.-estimaAed to have cost
$400; in China, after passing through
onlyitwo or three hands, Is held by q
dealer at $4,000 One American
nuseuTh has ten stone beads broken
from statues in ths, interior OF China
All large museums of the world have
or are acguirfng, similar fragments.
Collectors and Hfiuseuhis In America
are sending special repfese ehtatiyes {o'
China with large sums Of money to
buy. Similar expeditions are setting
forth from Europe. aq 'Ht,istl
"Reaiizing the menace to The nsGultS-
lures of China the aAsiatic .Ihstittite is
cooperating with the China Monti-
ments Society OF Picking Whose COM
mittee Is composed of the foreign
minister's at Pekins OF Great Britain,
Russia, America, France and Japan
men who see the situation close at
hand and are aroused BY It,"
One remedy which the Institute pro-
poses In It's appeal Is the r>turn to
China by all responsible governments
and institutions, OF stolen Chinese an
tlgEtltes In aeaccaas ::scS 71f..:A -.s!s 8
dent OF the French government and OF
the Smithsonian Institution, which Ia
past cars set Ssf example by return-
Ing to China archaeological and his
toriSal objects OF which she had been
robbed, and which had come into IFS
possession.
The institute proposes also, the
| stopping OF further indiscrfininate
purchasing especially OF broken
sculptures. Iiilits appeal for the CO.
operation OF libraries. rnusenms, sci
| entiflc soc3eitSs and coll iectofs. ~ IT
says that IN q ,pahilss siisln has reached
the tiagRitude ofa great crime, and
should arouse international opposic
/, toni $3.50
: l'c psSaR6eS Raa 55as44aalssssg China 3 an
tiqnilies.' says the appeal. tends to
break down Chinese society. It
EqEipples reseksch and education, and
| tfelarts progress. American Influences
have shaped the Chinese revolution
and are working foS the conservation
OF life In China, TO American iIlsti..
tutions OF clvsligation Is given the
ciTief opportunity OF combating In
China destructive activities OF Western