The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1916-03-07
Standardization
Dizziness Cash
Is Being Urged
Leaders Among Oriental EN-.
pire's Citizens Say Single
System of Money is Great
Present Need.

Picking Even IN he midst of rev.
olutionary movemen, and monarchic-
al preparations which bark BACK two
thousand years, there are some pro-.
gressivc chinese leaders endeavoring
to work out the beitcrment of china
ana the Chinese In q quiet. scientific
name one of the most important
OF the recent movements Is an effort
to %standardize and simplify the chr
nese language.
This effort has been approved by
President Yuan Shi-kai y If under
general discussion In the chinese
press. IL has the approval OF the min
lister of education and foreign edu-
Gators living in him who have a
knowledge of the chinese language
and appreciate the great difficulties
presented by the various dialects.
The simpiification and standsrdih-
ing Of Chinese textbooks for general
use throughout all the provinces is re-
garded as imperative before education
can make sreat progress in China and
result IN uniiication OF the various
provinces.
The annual expenditure TOR the up
keep of the army and navy IL reported
to be approximately $40, 900, 900 IN
gold, while the amount the central
government appropriates for educa.
tion is only one-fiftieth of that sum
The sentiment throughout China Is
that more none must be used for ed
ucntiun. With a proper system of tns-
alton. china can realize sufficient
money to- maintain schools, but cdu-
C%ational experts are universally agreed
hat adequate results cannot be at
tanned In Chinese schools until the
written language OF the Chinese is
standardized and s!mpliiied.
Prominent educators recently sug-
gested the creation OF a board FOR the
accomplishment Of tins work. They
would have such Il board modify IN"
present tlorid style of composition and
put the Chinese classics. that ~ the
better known works of confuCius, into
simple language with simpiified char
acters This education - take
from the mandarin dialect as used IN
Picking, which Is the language OF
scholars. possibly five thousand chr.
nese characters sufficient for ordinary
expression. This would be the
standard vocabulary for all Chinn.
The pronunciation of the characters
would be standardized In such a wa
that the written and spoken words
would bee almost exactly the same ~
every province
The educators suggc that this re-
form board would make text books
and dictionaries c%ontaininE the five
thousand words or characters adc-
quate To- cover the first tive years o.
primary school work. They regard
that AZ the vital basis for educationul
reform In China, and suggcst mat
more claborat. dictionaries and stan
dard text books could easily bee worked
out so as 10 put education even IN tho
universities upon the same basis In all
China.
At present the pronunciation of chi
ncsc characters is different In prn
tically every province. \ canton man
~ absolutely unable 10 understand tn"
language of a pekinese until he has
studied the pronunciation The same
~ true ht men from hulht"ht PROVINCES
In either the north or south of china,
II - estimated that the plan for
standardizing Chinese would bring
about a universal language IN chm
In less than forty years, II compulsory
education were adopted. and The Man
DARN dialect. or the dialect of the
educated class. were taught in all the
schools. Missionaries and other for
eigners who have lived In China for
many years are almost unanimous -
their belief that the extremely aim
cult and varied language Of the cut
nese is the greatest barrier to him y
progress. Written and spoken chit
nese are in such hopeless cumplcNity
! that there are very few Chinese schol-
airs who Ia e been able to master all
the dialects even in n long life time
of continuous study.
Only artists OF the first class are
able To- write certain Chinese chara'-
tiers In an acceptable way. OF recent
years there has been u tendency ~
write IN" characters In less ornate
4 a.. ..l ~. Y.f.,V.r. t.H.. ava