Great Falls tribune., 1922-02-20
The Haski,1 Letter
By FREDERICK
j. HASKlN
WATCHING CHINA CHANGE

babeling humanity flows. Through it
float. the odor Of burning fish and
sewerage, smouldering josh sticks, the
bouauet of ancient remains Of skinned
dogs and rats offered for sale. Inc
visitor notes the fatuous titles OF the
streets through which he has passed:
The Street Of Refreshing Breezes,
and the Street Of Nine Fold Bright,
ness. The Street of Ten Thousand
Grandsons is more aptly named.
Against this ingrowing spirit OF de,
yotion to old methods, ways. and
places, the more progressive OF the
controlling powers have at last mace
appreciable headway. Public spirit IL
toy to large degree adjusted and Can
ton now boasts of several broad high
WAYS, graded and macadamized,, over
six miles Of paved avenues and one
large mark beautified in occidental
manner. Thus has occidental push
arriyed and the wealth Of Canton, at
| the present time. may even dlscard
! the calm Of q sedan chair revel In the
speed Of modern flivver.
Other improvements are under way.
| The famous "City Of the Dead with
All it's weird rituals and ceremonies
will soon be transformed For years
/ the Cantonese have buried their dead
| in the land surrounding the city. A
recent authority places the graves
600, 900. The Chinese have the great
| est reverence and worship for the
| spirits of their ancestors, and once
huried it is a sacrilege to disturb them.
The far reaching effect Of the new for
| forward movement can best be ap-
| nreciated when it is known the decree
/ has rome forth by the youthful city
fathers that the necessities of the hv-
| inc outweigh the claims of the dead.
| The coffins are being dug up on an av-
erage Of 10000 a month. and soon
Canton will add more miles to her
broad macadam streets.
Younu China and the New Culture
The Young officials whose orders
are magically transforming China are
said in some quarters to have modelled
the young China" party after MAJ
zini's Italy party--that their cry IS
save, transform, rejuyenate emma. On
the other hand the charge is brought
against them that they are returned
students" men who have come IN con-
tact with the obstructive" influences
of western civilization. In this fluid
mass known as young China" largely
composed of returned students. there
are two elements of western influence
One is composed Of those who have
had the benefit of education at Ameri-
can universities and are therefore IN
culcated with American principles; the
other of those who after the Russo
Japanese war floeked to Japan te
study or who, living there as retu'
| gees imbibed it's influence and culture
beyond that of any absorbed In the
| fest. The new culture movement is
: made up to large extent OF Ameri
! canized Chinese and Japanized Chi
nese with vaaying aspirations, FOL
western ideas straight from the wes
and western ideas gathered via JapaI
are apt to have different obJectlves
However, whatever the influences BY
! which China is being pushed and re
juvenated, whether it be an outgrowtf
, of the student movement OF 1919 or
characteristically Chinese one pro
NOTED by Chinese students who havt
: never left home the results Will bt
; watched with unflagging interest.
They are working to build up a new
regime. to create q new mind. Thi.
mind is being trained through the new
intellectual movement to look forward
: instead of backward; to place itself o!
:. the common meeting ground VIII
t changed thought and conditions OF to
/ day. New China is cleaning house ant
t claiming her own in the modern worlt
!. forces.
4 Good roads are supplanting protect
, ing walls. Picturesque landmarks ar
1 disappearing, but the door IS begin
4 ming to swing wide.