Evening star., 1927-10-02

were periodically performed by the emperor
and other officials of the State until it's discs.
tablishment by the new republic 1t has a
minimum Of theology, and says little about sin.
1t does not persecute, nor does 1t proselytize;
religions many" says the Confucian, "but
reason Is one" 1t is above all code Of con.
duct and manners; and it has produced type
which stands very near the summit Of human
development. keyserling, after seeing many
lands and many men, concluded that the Con.
fucian scholars were intellectually the pro.
foundest and morally the finest human beings
he had met.
In China courtesy is part of religion. Some.
times 1t degenerates into mere etiquette; it Is
bad manners, in China. to attack the enemy in
wet weather; Wu.pei.fu did 1t, and won vic.
tory; but the beaten general complained,
Wu.pei.fu went back to the position he had
held before the battle, and fought all over
again the first sunny day. But for the most
part 1t is a real and not conventional courtesy:
lit is quite as reliable" says a recent traveller
"in situations for which precedent has been
provided. And it is not confined to one class
it exists even in the humbest coolie." All in
all it leads to habits and traits which make the
educated Chinaman rival the French aristocrat
in manners and the English gentleman in pose
of carriage and depth of character. Not even
the Englishman equals the Stole calm of the
Chinaman: the latter has seen all, the wisdom
OF a thousand generations is in his blood and
he stands serene in the midst of turmoil and
strife. Seeing men in haste" says a. Chinese
adage, do not seek to overtake them" 1t is a
lesson we find 1t hard to learn; we long rather
to overtake others than to perfect ourselves
We must not idealize the Chinaman is not as
Virtuous as Sir Charles Grandson. He is al.
most apathetic to suffering; he is as avaricous
as any man who has felt the whip of poverty:
and he takes to his phosophc heels with
readiness which to him is wisdom and to West.
ern taste seems cowardce. But he has a deli.
cate humor and an aristocratic sef.restraint
in verbal and emotional expression; he Is mod.
est, individually and nationally-his pride Is
too profound for self.assertion''; he is quick to
offer kindnesses, and slow to forget them; he is
orderly and Industrious; he Is practical, teach.
able and wonderfully gifted with common
sense; he Is an excellent artisan, an honest
trader, and far.visioned statesman who can
think in centuries while his enemies, thinking
in years, cancel themselves in war. For above
all he is peaceful.
DO we realize what it means that the oldest
ana most numerous people on earth are lovers
OF justice and peace? 1t is gift to the world
which might be incarnadined with blood II
these vast millions should like Japan adopt
the insane arts Of modern war; and it is a les
son Tor all nations and all generations. 1t il
as II the fever Of strife had burned itself out
from the blood of the Chinese; surely in this
matter they are farther from the jungle than
we or the West, who invent new modes Of cor
porate murder every day. How they must
smile as Europe commits hara.kiri in kindness
TO the East! 1t is true that they are now at
war, and Europe is now at peace: but 1t ia
Europe that made the war; and it is thew who
will make the peace.