Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-06

this question had an idea that 1t would
be possible to get millions Of copies
of newspaper publications He was ten
derby Strengthened out on this point
Mel is a slight, artistic man. gifted as
as a painter His studio home was a
haven Of rest for us after hard day OF
sightseeing in dusty Peipjng.
Entertained by Governor.
In the evening formal dinner by
Gen. Shang Chen. governor Of the
province, was given in the "Old
Waichaiopu Building" which means the
annex f social and ceremonial affairs
of the Tsung Ii Yamen, or foreign
ONCE, a large, elaborate building OF no
particular style Of architecture, with
accommodations for immense affairs.
There were the. usual speeches IN
Chinese translated into English. and in
English translated into Chinese. With
numerous toasts and references to the
traditional friendship between China
and America.
Yesterday morning our program in
cluded the Temple of Heaven and the
Three Lakes. The former Is south OF
the city, not very great distance 'from
our hotel. A brisk drive through me
legation quarter, a turn to the left
through the Chen Men gate, and old
China lay before us. Through swarm
of rickishaws and donkey carts, past
barrows giving forth their everlasting
and world-famouS squeak, barely miss
ing teams of men Juggling desperately at
the heaviest loads III clumsy carts. our
machines went ahead at faster pace
than the pavement warranted. We
jolted violently. We bounced furicusly.
We chung to handholds in the cars for
salvation. After time the open coun-
try appeared. a desolate ruin Of coun-
try. secured deep with the scars Of mis-
use by man and by nature.
Trips Are Saddening.
These trips around Peiping are sad
dening. They show China. perhaps, at
Its worst. The hills are bare, the
fields are half titled. Even the graves
that dot the landscape are crumbling.
The people are haggard with toll and
Inadequate food. There is no actual
starvation in the region of the former
capital, but the tradition that millions
of Chinese are just about two meals
ahead of famine gains substantial sug-
gestion in the aspect of the people.
BY this depressing approach we reach
the Temple of Heaven. The immediate
entrance is through fine grove OF
trees, but even here vandal hands have
been at work and many of the finest OF
the trees have been cut down in recent
years for firewood. There seems to be
very rigid supervision over the struc-
lures of the old regime on the part OF
the authorities-always much formaiity
at the gates to demand admission
tickets and identification-but appar-
emily there are loose joints In the pro-
tective machinery.
The Temple of Heaven Is rated as the
most beautiful of the many interesting
places to be visited in and around
Peiping. The original structure was
erected centuries ago. The present one.
a copy of the first. which was destroyed
by fire, is only about hundred and
fifty years old. In the glare of the sun
1t shone before us as a dream, its blue
tiles cleaning below the gilded rounded
cap. Beneath, the white marble circu-
lar balustrade almost blinded the eyes.
But the tagged walks were thick with
weeds and on all sides were signs OF
neglect. Many years have passed since
any attention was paid to this once
sacred place. It Is now falling into
decay. Some of the stones Of the balus-
trade, itself one of the loveliest things
in. the world, are dislocated. The jute
fiber coating of the woodwork Of the
temple, which bore the brilliant lacquer
Of its original finish, Is peeling on in
the weather. Within the temple all Is
dust and CRIME. It is gloomy shell Of
a past grandeur. All of the buildings
within this great compound, all the
priceless marble ratings, even the very
fiagstones. are passing into almost
hopeless decadence.
Once Imperial Residence.
At the Three Lakes, which was once
the place of residence of the imperial
family and a favorite resting place for
the Empress dowager, there is more
evidence of care by the modern regime.
One of the palaces there was taken over
as the presidential residence in the
early days of the republic" Yuan Shi
Kai developed eventually his imperial
complex here. He had the courtyard
of the principal building rooted and in
closed and made into an audience hall,
1t is a vast chamber, and, with its
throne-like presidential seat, Is undeni-
ably suggestive Of the ambition Of Yuan
to establish a dynasty Of his own and
to renew the royal power, an ambition
that cost him his place and even his
life, for he died Of chagrin due to the
collapse of his rule.
Some Of our party, eager for cooling
sights to relieve the heat of the day,
kept asking where the lakes" were. A
suspicion began to grow that the name
lake" was but q figure of speech, char
actertstic of the Chinese. Our guide,
somewhat mystified by this state Of
mind, kept explaining that the lakes"
were here" We finally got to them,
by short drive. They are veriteble
lakes, once cad surfaces Of water, now
almost wholly covered with lotus Leaves.
Here and there the water shows
Called "Old Buddha."
It was blistering hot when our cars
lssw up to the end of the driveway at a
na yilion that was once the faVOrite of