The sun., 1919-01-02
The Young Nation Teaching the Old
Old China and New America.

lue ARRIVAL III new 1OrR OF an EN-
bassy from the Chinese Republic, or
Its way to- the congress of the ma
tons, compels Renaissance. History
is often better illuminated by the rays
from reflectors than by the first can
die light of events.
In the late '30s some American and
Scottish merchants organized in Chi.
mas one open port of Canton the
Morrison Education Society. 1t was
named after the great pioneer from
England. They called out the young
American SAMUEL ROBINS Brown
who founded the first school in China
for the elementary and systematic
study in English of the language, lit
erature and history Of the Chinese.
After ten years of wonderful success
Brown brought to America three
promising Chinese boys-the first seen
among us One, IuSG WING, went
through Yale and in after years
brought 120 lads to our schools.
BRowN, the American schoolmaster
abroad, was the van leader of q great
host and the leavencr of mighty
mass.
One can scarcely conceive of a Chi.
nese republic without these American
influences--and we have named only
one typical case---whiCh include print
ing presses that have issued more
than a billion Of pages, in books,
newspapers, tracts and broadsides on
every subject of human interest.
Brown was indeed n typical Ameri-
can. Returning from China he be-
came the intellectual founder OF the
first chartered college for women, that
at Elmira, n. Y. From 1859 he gave
twenty years Of educational service in
Japan, raising up scores Of "intellec-
tuals' in many professions. Verify,
his cultured mother, our first hym-
mist, PHoERE HINsDALE BRowN, hid her
leaven in "three measures of meal"
Yet even before Brown there were
the large hearted American mer-
chants in China. Under 1.-The fowery
flag" raised at Canton IN 1854 the
record of these pioneers IS one Of hon
esty and generosity.
Now, the Chinese, though slow to
change, have illustrated two or three
old proverbs of .EsoP and one or two
Of their own. Proud, naughty. even
contemptuous of the outside bar
barians," we incline to believe that
American willingness 10 appreciate
and go at least half way was more
etficacious than European lombard
ments. The cloak of aloofness, tightly
wrapped in storm, was thrown off
in sunshine. From the Continental
officer Of artillery, Major GRAY, sail
ing in the ship Empress from New
York late in 1888 to raise the Stars
and Stripes In China, SAMUEL ROB-
BINS Brown, and thence TO ANsoN
BUBLINGAME, China gained many
friends from America. The remltting
of $4,000, 900 OF the Boxer indemnity,
for the education OF Chinese students
in America-after cutting down one
half of the mulct which Germany
proposed--and the open door policy
of john HAY. are hut specimen pages
N n chronicle of friendship which
oh 81, .
apparently inyinCible pride. tending
to insolence, into a gladly doCile pu-
Pill. 1t IS not ChauN thistle self. econ
ceit but a simple statement of the
facts, declared more by the Chinese
themselves than by US, that their best
and most trusted friend among ma
tons is the United States. Indeed,
the full inventory of American altru-
istic investment in China, schools,
hospitals. edifices for humanitarian
intent and purpose, and the wealth
of devoted manhood and womanhoOd
sent from our homes, would surprise
most Americans.
Wisdom is best justified by her own
children, and In China'S lore is Il
proverb telling her modern wise men
that the young may become teachers
of the old. To-day there ~ new
landscape OF events, with perspective
and opportunity denied to their cid
ers of a bali century ago. Within a
cycle Of Cathay," that Is. sixty years,
autoCracy and throne filed by alien
conquerors have passed away, and
China has become "the Central Glori-
Gus Peoples country"
Among the monosyllnbic names IN
the embassy of December, 1913, now
with us, one recognizes the alumni of
Cornell, Of Yale, of Columbia aud of
Harvard, rs well az Of 81, johns
Shanghai and other American
schools in Pckin, Fuchau and Chang
sha. In our wOmeuS colleges are
also Chinese girls whose fathers and
grandfnthcrS were taught by Amcrl-
cans. Born of some of the eleven
hundred Chinese students who have
come to America there are how in the
United States little folks in the fourth
generation OF the culture begun by
Americans.
Space prevents US from expanding,
by illustration, the truth in the Chi
ncSe prOverb. Is Asia alone our pu-
Pill? Has not Europe proiited also
from Lessons derived from Amnricn 2