New Britain herald., 1921-05-14

ton on the production of motion pic- lures whose theme is spun around the Chinese, a number Of these produc- tions having been issued within the past few months. This, in itself, means, nothing because motion pic tures like the spoken drama, are sus- ceptible to fads which continue for a season or more and then disappear rom view. There is one element, however, to which friends of China must object, and that is the focusing of attention on the very worst aspect of Chinese life, the gambling den, the opium hell and all the rest of the usual stage paraphernalia.
 Those who have read at all about the Chinese know that many in our American cities are not truly repre- effort is made by scenarists to portray the better side of their nature. In China, a happy lana despite it's per- ennial floods and its famines. there is a state of civilization and a code of ethics which the Caucasian, in the ignorance of his provincialism, does not admit exists. It might be. stated that the Chinese are an honorable race. This fact can be vouched for by commercial travellers who have done business in the Orient and who know that the word of a Chinese mer- chant is as dependable as his bond. In business transactions they are rrupulously honest Honor is car
 d to an extreme hardly thought
 .ssible in this country. It is not unusual in China for relatives to pay debts contracted by deceased rela- o1@ ,r1, h; Se Ait 1ne 11Ny nor morally necessary, according to Occidental standards. q.
 Chinese family life, in the major ity of cases, is tranquil and, under the influence of Western civilization, the women of the domestic circle are being allowed an increasing degree of freedom. The Chinese do not have the same angle of vision as. we do, but to say that they are wrong just because they are different would be betraying a narrowness of spirit which could find no justification.
 It is said that the Chinese never knew what opium was until it was introduced by white traders and viz orous steps are being taken by lead ing men of the country to suppress the evil because they realize that it threatens to undermine large part of the population mentally, morally and physically.
 Nothing that has been written in any age or by any men has greater clarity of thought than the proverbs written by Chinese scribes centuries ago and what can compare for beauty and understanding of life with the works of the ancient philosophers of the Far East! '..
 Confucianism is based on highest principles and ideals which the white man could we'll follow with benefit to himself. It is nothing more or less than an exposition of the Golden Rule bv one of the most learned men the world has known. ,-~~
 We are accustomed to classify Chi nese as laundrymen, proprietors of tea and souvenir stores or domestic servants. Yet there are a great many learned men, economists, educators, inventors, landscape artists and engi-; neers in the land of the Yang Tse Kiang, some of whom are the proud owners of diplomas from Yale. liar yard and other prominent American institutions of learning.
 For the sake of relieving the mo- {, notony, wouldn't it be good idea for and motion picture, pro-
  clinations or a small part of the great ] Chinese world and more on the high- CT emotions of the majority lest We i gain d false conception of a race that was making rapid progress in the arts and sciences when the white race was just beginning to take root?
 If people sometimes lose patience with their government it is usually lue to the blundering methods with which the latter conduct their af-. fairs. Everyone who had relatives in he recent war certainly is cut of l patience with the government for 1 ts stupidity in publishing stacker l ists which have not been verified. ! of falsities by an indi- i -idual is usually laid at the door Of l ong- suffering human nature but no l excuse can be found for a govern l ncnt which, with an indifference de- l ;oid of ail compassion, deliberately 1 brands patriotic young men as trai- ! crs to their country, and this is just { what is being done in thousands of l instances, through the distribution Of l he so-called lists of slackers.
 Already cases have been discovered | ,f men who rendered valorous service l o the flag being held up to public | through the idiocy of those n charge of publishing the lists. These cases are bound to increase un- ess the war department recalls all he lists and makes an earnest att empt to verify them. Officials at ]