Evening journal., 1915-03-18
New News Of Yesterday
The Man Who Made
Friends With China
BY Holland

There are many persons not yet so
far advanced in life as to be properly
termed old men and women who can
remember wildly what a true sensa-
tion, in the best meaning of that word.
prevailed throughout the United
States when Anson Burlingame, the
American minister TO China, came to
this country in 1867. for the purpose
of negotiating for China the CONNER
cial treaties which Mr. Burlinsamo,
as our minister. had agreed upon with
the Chinese government
With Mr. Burlingame was great
following of Chinese servants. minor
officials and some dignitaries who
were called mandarins and who we're
dressed with magnincensc Some Of
them wore the red button or ball at
the top of their skull caps. others
wore buttons or balls of different
cOlors. all of them signifying the de-
gree of the rank which the mandarins
represented
Few persons in the United States
had ever seen any Chinese excepting
coolies who were employed at rail-
road building in the far West The
brilliant and rigid etiquette which
characterized the noblemon of China,
so to call them. their intense and
childlike interest in everything which
they saw and the very fact that they
were Chinese Of high degree and were
especially devoted 20 Mr.. Burlngane
/ surrounded this party with a peculiar
atmosphere of Oriental life and their
visit to this country was the one COM
manding topic Of the day.
Subsequently Mr.. Burlingame. with
this great rotnue. visited France and
England. I'm England he had no diff
hculty i'm securing favorable consid-
Grafton .of the treaties. In fact,
France was the only European coun-
try which declined to ratify any
treaties with China.
II was in Prussia, then only a king
dom that Mr.. Burlngame and his
Chinese friends received perhaps the
most distinguished attentions which
came 10 them from any nation upon
the continent of Europe. Even then
Prussia was considering the best
methods Of securing some portion Of
the trade of China. Upon one Occa-
sion. Buringame and the mandarins
magnificent i'm ihejr court costumes
attended a semi-rOyal reception in
Berlin. Burlingame happened to
meet an American friend at this re-
ceptiOn. The conversation turned
upon the commercial development OF
China and Mr., Burlingame said
"China will need a great system oil
railroads if she is to develop hel
magnificent natural resources" TC
this statement the friend replied
Cant you interest American ant
European capital in sufficient
amounts TO make railway construc
tion in China pOssible?"
"Oh. il isn't a question OF capital.
Burlingame replied. II could get mil
lions and millions for railroad build
ing i'm China if IL wasn't for one thing
! All of China is practically one grca
) graveyard The Chinese have for thoi
r religion the Worship of their ances
, tors They would be terrified if the
[ saw railroads constructed acros
! their great cemetery. They would re
! gard il as a dosecration of their an
: cestors You can't have railroads il
China until you find the way to &c
> around this difficulty"
you must have some idea of tn
way the thing could be DONE" hi
, friend suggested.
Yes, / have, Mr.. Burlingame re
. piled. "and l shall take it up as sool
as / have completed the mission
which | am now engaged on"
He did not live TO complete the mis-
sion. While he was at st. Petersburg
, stiH with his retinue. he was takel
| suddenly III and' died. Nor did h
, leave anything which would serve a
/ a hint or clue to the manner in whicl
, railroad construction could be under
taken in China.