Las Vegas optic., 1914-03-10
OF
CHINA Being
STOLEN
AsIATlc INSTITUTE or NEW
YORK WANTS THE VAN
DALlsM STOPPED

SIdpl Cdileu EIuHu6I duCs tJobLEuCllO
of Antiquities in China" the Asiati
Institute of New York calls attentio
to the vandalism that has appeare
in China by which she is being rutl
lessly plundered Of her antiquities.
The statement places the responsi
bility for this situation on the devel
opment of the present European mus
cum and collecting system. It con
stitutes an appeal to nations and or
ganizations to call a halt in this wide
spread plumber often involving blood
shed, in the interests OF science anC
of fair play for China and her coming
generations.
| The monograph contains private, Of
ficial and public papers. It voices
China's protests thus:
The Asiatic Institute has received
Chinese protests dating back six
years emphasizing Chinese abhor-
renee Of the European system, whose
practices have now invaded China,
These practices are widespread pill
Laying of temples and sacred places of
the dead and other ancient works il.
Africa and throughout Asia, in the
name Of superior civilization, puni-
tive warfare, science, or other subter-
fuge. They protest against the intro
duction into China of foreign con-
ception of time. of science and of his
tory by newer nations whose sense OF
antiquity as peculiarly exemplified in
their museum system enables them
to participate in anTis foster the de.
atruction and robbery of holy things.
The havoc and destruction referred
to is specified as follows:
Tn the revolutionary interregnum
between the winter Of 1911-12 and
the summer of 1918, sculptures and
other antiquities native to China un-
derwent destruction on a large scale
by foreign and native yandals il the
interest Of foreign dealers and nus.
Gums.
I'm 1918 there was a general diyis.
ion among museums of the world in
cluding at least two American mus
Gums, of several hundred cases of
sculptural fragments broken from
their settings by one and the same
body Of vandals. This evil has grown
up SO suddenly-it has come about
since 19OS-that foreign peoples and
foreign governments have not appre
hended it. No one is aware Of it ex-
cept the museums involved, their
agents and Intermediates and the
Chinese"
In a statement made to fhe Asso- !
ciated Press the secretary Of the AS
iatic Institute says:
"All signs seem to Indicate that /
have commenced upon /
the archaeological and art wealth of |
China to an extent even greater than
The vandalism with which Europe Wis
tied the art and beauty Of the shores
1f the Mediterranean. The maket for
Chinese antiquities, particularly sculp-
lures, came with the close of the
war. But no nation
bears the stigma Of being chief van
lal in China. The market is an inter
national one, and has been developed
lnder Japanese and European direc-
ion with Paris as headquarters. so
we'll has the market been worked by
he dealers that the increase in prices
If Chinese sculpture in the past five
or six years has been forty or fifty
lines. For example, one piece Of
sculpture North Wei times Ninth
century A. D.-estimated to have cost
s400 in China, after passing through
1nly two or three hands, is held by a
iealer at $4,000. One American mus
cum has ten stone beads broken from
statues in the interior Of China. All
large museums Of the world have, or
ire acquiring. similar fragments. Col
ectors and museums in America are
special representatives to-
China with large sums Of money to
buy. Similar expeditions are setting
'orth from Europe,
Realizing the menace to the sculp-
lures Of China the Asiatic Institute is
with the China Monu-
ments Society Of Peking, whose COM
mittee is comROsed Of the foreign
ministers at Peking 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
in its appeal Is the return
to China by all responsible govern
ments and institutions Of stolen Chi
nese antiquities in accordance with a