Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1919-05-23
CHINA WILL NOT
LOSEH Her SHRINE
in PEACE TREATY

WASHINGTON. May 22.-Reports
that China loses her historic shrine,
birthplace and home of Confucius, by
transfer of the German concessions
on Kiao Chaubayto Japan are incor-
rect, according to a bulletin from
the Washington headquarters of the
National Geographic society.
The tomb of Confucius, China's
Mt. Vernon, is in Shantung," the
bulletin states, but out of the 3d.
p70 square miles in the Shantung
province the concession leased to
Germany and now transferred to ia
pan comprises only 1913 square miles.
IN addition Japan is given control of
the railway line from Using Tau to
T6inan-fu, Standings lcapital, with
certain rights to develop mines along
the right of way to build branch
lines
In other words the area of Shan
tung province is comparable to the
combined area of Pennsylvania and
Virginia, and the portion ceded to
Japan is only a fourth larger than
the territory originally cut out from
Maryland and Virginia to form the dis
trict of Columbia, the southern tri-
angle of which later was returned to
Virginia.
The completion of the Tien-Tsin
Pukow railway in 1912 opened direct
communication with the sacred places
of Shantung, in a sense. One express
train a week to Pukow sufficed for SUI
perior travel, but absolutely no at
teEtion TO meeting or encouraging
tourist travel was made
One goes to the home of Confucius
now. as Marco Polo might have gone
Express trains do not stop at Chu-fOu
stations, 33 miles south of Tsingan-
fu, save when great officials pass
that way. The station is six miles
from the town, and there is no ade-
quate accommodation for large num-
bers of travellers at either place. I'm
less an official command opens the
stone-fioored yamen rooms to one
the trip is not to be recommended in
the twentieth century, years after the
opening of the railway.
The road from the station to the
town where nearly all the inhabi-
tants are descendants or kinfolk of
Confucius, could not be called road
elsewhere, and the springless Peking
cart or sedan chair are the only We
hicles. The Duncke Kung direct des-
cendant and present head of the great
clan, expressly stipulated that the
railway should not come any nearer
to Chu-fou, and motors and jinrilIi
sha are undreamed of
Beside the many temples in the
philosopher and his descendants in
walled park mile beyond the city
walls. The public cannot pass be-
yond the first gate, only officials and
distinguished visitors with official
letters being permitted to view the
green mound and its tablets in the
last enclosure. But says the guide
book, admittance may, however, be
obtained by tipping the guardian. For
centuries the officials have been sent
from Picking to make annual offerings
at the grave of Confucius, but one
does not see crowds of scholars, nor
the stream of pilgrims that might be
expected at this oldest shrine of the
empire of 400,000,000 people.
"Taian-fu, As miles from Tsinan-fu,
is the station for pilgrims making the
ascent to Tai-shan the Great Noun
tain where worship has been contin-
uous for 2400 years. One leaves the
train and is carried to the summit in
sedan chair in six hours. He des-
cends in three hours and gets away
by another accommodation train, as
there is no fit shelter for European
in the town or on the mountain.
"a series of neglected and decay
ing templaes that were once splendid
shrines mark the ascent along a
stony path worn by the feet and the
floods of centuries. Inscribed tablets
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