The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-08-25

Americans do not realize that the
"pig-tailed," small-footed nation
which they call to mind at mention
Of China absolutely does not exist,
according to PAX Chu Chan, who
has been studying medicine and
theology at American universities
81 have been asked II all Chinese
are laundrymen," says Mr.. Chan In
his perfect English. And though
for 10 years it has beeen against
the law to wear a queue, ind that
American people do not understand
that there are no queues in China.
The queue was one of the strong
traditions of the empire days-one
of the apparent trifles which held
China back in her unprogresslve
civilization. The Chinese in this
country long ago found that the
queue he so much treasured inter
fered with his being taken serious
ly as a business man. The pig
tall of the Chinaman was certain
to be a subject Of jest. According
" many Chinese had their queues
cut off, well aware that by this act
they made themselves exiles from
d.
nese empire was regarded as a
rebel against the state and the
penalty was death at the heads
mans block.
To find the reason for this sig
nificance attached to the queue, Mr..
Chan says, we must go back to
1914, when America was still strug-
Cling with its first settlements.
The Manchus arose and dominated
China at that time. The Manchu
prince disarmed the Chinese peo-
pie, but there were 5000 900 Man
churians against several hundred
million Chinese.
So, further to insure submission,
the conQuering ruler ordered all
Chinese to braid their hair into a
queue. This he made a sign of
loyalty to the new dynasty 1t was
useful, too, because if man tried
to escape, he could sometimes be
caught by the queue flying back OF
him. Some Chinese protested, but
the penalty was death.
Eventually the Chinese got used
to the queue and became attached
to it. But when China opened her
doors to other countries, the queue
became troublesome. Diplomats
and business men wished to cut of
the queue and to wear western
clothes. Many petitions were pre-
scented to the emperor. Then the
republic was established in 1911
and the new constitution of China
said that all queues must be cut
In one province, Mr.. Chan remem-
bers, 100000 queues were re-
ported cut in one day.
Helped the Hat Business.
1t caused some amusing situa-
lions. The men of China had worn
no hats. as the queue bound about
the head was sufficient protection
against cold and the sun. Now,
with short hair, they must have
hats. They did not know what was
to be the proper style in head COW
erings for men, but in the emer-
gency they crowded into American
merchandise shops to buy anything
hats, caps, even women's
hats.
"At first few old men wished to
retain their queues" Mr.. Chan
recol1ected with a smile. so they
wrapped the queue around the head
and covered 1t with a cap. But the
police are suspicious, and make any
suspects take off the caps. If the
queue is there, the policeman pulls
out a big knife and gives the man
a free haircut"
Foot-binding is another fashion !
as passe in China as the wasp waist |
is in America. The small feet" !
girl in China now has difficulty in !
getting a husband. The young men |
want large feet" wives. Nor can
a small feet" girl go to the public !
or mission schools. She is as I'M
as the girl with unbound !
feet was few years ago.
Binding the women's feet, &C
cording to DIR. Chan, is an even |
more ancient practice in China than !
the hair in queue There |
are two stories of its origin. One |
says that one thousand years ago,
an exceedingly beautiful queen of
the Tong dynasty had a deformity
Of her feet. To hide this defect
from the notice of the king. she
bound her feet tightly and pretend
I'd that she wished them to be very
small as a mark of beauty, even
though it kept her from walking.
The other women of the court, all
eager for the honor of being chosen
Is concubines by the king, follow
I'd the new fashion to achieve
beauty. And so foot binding spread
,ver China.
The other theory is that the Chi