Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-04
WESTERN REFORM IDEAS
PROVE BANE TO CHINA
NOrtherners Resist War ON Old Customs,
Queues and Such as Southerners Press
Cause of sModernizatiOn."

best known abroad, Is one Of the MOST
popular gambling devices here. Way
into the night the click Of the ivory
tiles may be heard on any dark street
In China, and the amount Of money
that changes hands Is enough 70 give
pause to the most daring Occidental
player For NAH jongg in its own
country Is not the tame. pretty game
that 1t Is In foreign lands.
Every one here CANDLES according TO
his means, or rather well beyond his
means, and while the thought Of o rich
man losing thousands Of dollars in one
game Is impressive, 1t Is even more I'M
very life away. AS an explanation OF
this recklessness it may be said that
gambling Is the only hope Of the poor
In China, and that this Is why the prac-
tice has had such hold on the people
for centuries.
Another interesting reform that b
being urged here now Is the modif1ca-
ton Of funeral practices.
The government Is trying TO dis
courage the elaborate funeral process
sions. those gorgeous mile-long perades
which are one of the sights of China.
But old-fashioned families here sttll
take pride in going into debt IL neces-
sary In order to honor their dead. It
Is not only the garish professions. the
employment of Buddhist priests TO
chant hymns for Al days and nights
make Chinese funerals 80 costly, but
continual feasting that marks the oc.
caSion.
Throughout the period Of mourning
friends mad relatives feel entitled to re-
main on the premises Of the chief heir,
partaking Of board and lodging at his
expense. Arrangements for . series Of
banquets are made with caterers who
make speciality Of this business, and
brought to the scene.
Though tase Nationalist government
condemns these extravagant practices,
the administration itself has come IA
for heavy criticism in connection with
the mausoleum which It built for DR..
Sun Yat-Sen, patron saint Of the pres
ent ruling party. While forbidding the
people to enjoy their old religious Gus
toms In their traditional ways, Il II
said that the state itself Is laboring
under the weight Of the dead hand OF
DR.. Sun Yat-Sen.
It Is contended that the beautiful
tomb that the government built at
Marking for the revolutionary leader 10
out Of keeping with the modern reform
trend. DR.. Sun Yat-Sen's widow has
been unsparing in her denunciation Of
the party politicians, who are reputed
to have spent $4,000 for the comm
alone, while the poor people Of China
suffer famine.
Boycott Against Japan.
China imports vast quantities of jap
aneSe merchandise, but about two years
ago number of unofficial oreaniza.
tons came into being throughout the
country and promoted q boycott against
japanese goods. The Chinese mer.
chants who attempted to sell japanese
goods were fined by these enthusiasts
patriots, who even went so far as 70
conf1scate all the Japanese merchandise
they found.
Purchasers Of the banned articles also
were punished by fines and humfli.
near the Chen Men, the most imposing
gate Of the Tartar Wall which sur
rounds Peiping, and some unlucky indi.
vidualS who offended the anti-Japanese
Society were imprisoned in this cage
for hours.
Recently. however, the boycott asso-
citation fell into Ill repute, because n
was proved that the zeal Of the patriots
was inspired chiefly by the desire 20
enrich themselves from the proceeds Of
enacted.
During the trouble with Soviet Rus.
sla In connection with the seizure Of
the Chinese Eastern Railway, q nation
wide anti Russian campaign was started.
AS on the occasion of the anti-Japanese
movement, and the anti-BritiSh move
ment prior to that, walls, houses and
pagodaS were placarded with tnfiam.
nlatory bill posters. Most recently Q
similar anti-American campaign was
instituted as q protest against the
United States for refusing to give I'D lie
extraterritorial rights, but this move.
ment made very little Roadway.
The agitation against queues has be-
come more persistent with every year.
Cn1nese men were ordered to cut on
their queues at the time Of the over
throw Of the Manchu dynasty 10 years
ago. but to this day, even In such O
metropolis az Peiping some of the old
Iasnioned braids are still to be seen.
Women Still Bind Feet.
Far more persistent than the queues
are the bound feet Of Chinas woman
roik. Even today, in spite OF official
orders and in spite of the earnest
campaigns Of educated women, little
girls are still having their feet bound
throughout China. The custom n rare
IN large cities now, but in country
districts 1t Is still common.
The attempt to persuade the people
to replace their ancient Calendar Win
the foreign one is meeting with more
opposition In China. perhaps than snv
other reform. For 40 Centuries the
Chinese New Year has been the treat
holiday of this country and the people
refuse to give it ut,. Ever since rhe
revolution the Republic Of China has
oficially adopted the western caIenday
but the Nationalist government is AZ.
termined that it shall also come into
and doc,,nsnt. dstoS =; Iu ~. ca n, s