Show f M LIS AIViERCAN NOTES I e > < 4 4 4 W = r < > > CMISEIVES A TIE GHEAT CHINA lEN SEES US THE VICEROY PTA PT-A DIAILY ITS CONTESTS IKTE ItPRETED BY HIS CHIEF SECRETARY SECRE-TARY A a object of curiosity Li Hung Chang the most famous man in the world has been thoroughly studied during his visit to this country Columns Col-umns on columns were written about him before his arrival and since he h been actually on our shores the columns have been multiplied into pages describing his achievements looks manners habits and dress All this mass of material ha given the American reading public a very accurate accu-rate idea of th sort of person Li Hung Chang seems judged by western west-ern standards and opinions But apparently ap-parently nobody has tried to look on the other side of the picture and to learn how the western world looks tote to-te great Celestial To be sure he has several times been asked to give his opinion of America and Americans and to these questions he his always responded with true oriental ori-ental politeness being careful at the same time to express himself in the most general terms I is interesting however to learn how the little things the ordinary customs and everyday usages appeal to the foremost mind of a worldthat I in many respects the exact antitype o our own to enter into the Chinese mind of the Chinese potentate and to look at western civilization civi-lization through his Chinese eyes This has been possible in a measure from I the notes which the viceroy has taken during the progress of his trip and which are in charge of his chief secretary sec-retary Loh Feng l uh and from an interview with Li Hung Chang himself in which the greatest living interrogation interro-gation mark consented for a brief time to give up his favorite role a questioner and instead to answer a few questions a to his opinion of things American To begin with Earl LI learned much from his trip besides what reached his I ears through the remarks of the interpreter inter-preter for the general impression that Li Hung Chang is entirely ignorant of English is a mistake Though all his conversation with his American visitors visi-tors was carried on through an interpreter inter-preter Li Hung Chang himself can speak the English language a little and can follow a conversation carried Ion I-on in English accurately Why he pretends I pre-tends complete ignorance of the language lan-guage it is difficult to understand1 unless un-less it is accepted as a evidence of the devious workings of the Chinese I mind Perhaps he reasons that it adds to his dignity to have everything translated lated to him by an interpreter and that I there Is no reason why he should try to converse with his callers in English more than they should learn Chinese before coming to see him Li Hung Changs notes a interpreted interpret-ed by his secretary to the writer contain con-tain frequent reference to the great inventions in-ventions and mechanical triumphs for which Americans are famous everywhere every-where especially in the line of ship and locomotive construction Following his observations on our mechanical achievements is a note rather more personal in its nature He remarks that the Americans are always al-ways in a hurry He mentions this trait of the Americans several times I in his notes and compares it unfavorably unfavor-ably with the Chinese mode of life The great Li himself as everyone knows rises at 530 dines regularly and on carefully prepared and selected food and retires at 8 in the evening He notices also thit the Americans are very nervous and i of the opinion that it is because they do not drink good tea The viceroys private observations show that he is somewhat skeptical of the effectiveness of the American system sys-tem of government There are to many parties too many officers and too I little remedy for unfaithfulness in public pub-lic duties A single master says the Celestial I philosopher will watch his servants carefully but if a man has a thousand thou-sand masters each one will put on the others the labor of holding the servant I ser-vant to an accounting Evidently he prefers the onemaster system The English which means Anglo Saxon are very proud of their cities which is well he observes again They keep them clean and make them beautiful but the means O travel are not as > pleasant as in the Chinese towns In what respect he finds the method of transportation deficient he does not o transprtai l defcent say but he may be pardoned perhaps for believing that a sedan chair is more I comfortable than a cable car In this connection l is interesting to note how the great Celestial ranks the three greatest cities of the western world In answer to a question as to what city had pleased and impressed him most he replied at once London that is the most beautiful the grandest After it comes fcTew York and then Paris I Why he placed the three cities in this order the viceroy did not explain except II ex-cept to say that he took into account both the inhabitants and the material I greatness of the cities making up his I mind ou his subject One thing to which the notes of the imperial visitor contain frequent reference ref-erence is AngloSaxon humor He apparently ap-parently has some difficulty in understanding under-standing it but it interests him greatly great-ly In spite of their fondness for making mak-ing fun the Americans a very reverent rev-erent according to the ambassador and he cites the action of the people who were present at the time of his visit to Grants tomb a a example They cherish the bones o their forefathers fore-fathers he says and preserve them I in magnificent tombs which are placed in most beautiful parts o the towns Li Hung Chang further notes the American custom of bring the head as a token of reverence The Chinese custom of course is to bow That expresses ex-presses submission but simpiy removing re-moving the hat does not in Chinese code express anything at all in this connection This was a point which the viceroy was apparently unable to solve for himself or by means of numerous nu-merous questions Here Is another of Li Hung Changs Changs opinions presumably not for publication publica-tion but for his own satisfaction and for future reference In the matter of culture the English En-glish are superior to some European peoples and inferior to others but they are not equal to the Chinese There are many things to show this In China the most advanced students are taught to read great English writings in the original and to know something of English history and of great Englishmen En-glishmen English books too are printed prin-ted in China But no Englishman learns Chinese except for commercial or diplomatic advantages and no English En-glish student ever thinks that the Chinese Chi-nese classics are worth his study They know nothing o Chinas great men either They think that there have been two great Chinamen am one but they would have heard little of me if I had not come among them The other is Confucius ucus There is certainly something of profound pro-found observation in this remark and it shows that the viceroy had carefully weighe the status b opinion In regard re-gard to himself and appreciates the general ignorance of Chinese history throughout the western world The conclusion of the remark would brand a Caucassian as selfconceited but it Is in reality only the perfect frankness of the Celestial in speaking out what the other would only have thought This frankness by the way never c M r deserts the Chinaman when he is discussing dis-cussing h visitors affairs though it frequently disconcerts the visitor nim self A case in point is related by one of the secretaries a occurring in Lon don A representative of one of the London weeklies called upon the viceroy vice-roy and was askedi the usual question What is your salary HI a paid 600 per year w the reply After a seconds pause during which the questioner presumably reduced re-duced this amount to its Chinese equtv alent he resumed I Isnt that very large pay for your work 7 The newspaper man replied that he did not consider it large for a competent compet-ent and experienced journalist With perfect gravity and an appearance of the greatest Interest the viceroy asked the next question Do you consider yourself yoursel competent and experienced For a instant the visitor was c ried off his feet but he quickly recovered re-covered and replied that he considered himself one of the best journalists in London an answer which seemed to please and satisfy the viceroy Another subject that has been a source of continual interest to Li Hung Chang is the woman question From the time of his arrival in St Petersburg Peters-burg he has carefully studied the ha caefuly studied position po-sition of women in the western world and has made comparisons of the women wo-men of different nations I is safe to say that he has enough material on this subject to fill a book if he feels disposed to write one on his return At the ceremonies of the czars coronation coro-nation he saw women from all the European countries and he decided that time that the English women were the most beautiful a opinion to which he still holds He welcomes an opportunity to talk with women of social prominence or unusual attainments attain-ments and can always hold up his end of the conversation In London and New York Earl Li noticed as a curious fact that when attending receptions or dinners the women covered their had and arms but bared their shoulders shoul-ders and breasts I In China he said it is exactly the other way the hands being left uncovered I cannot see thatthe Eng i lish way is better or more refined I During his visit to New York he did not fail to notice the uptodate bicyclist bicy-clist In bloomers and inquired what name was given to them He was told that they were called new women Afterwards when the viceroy was asked what he thought of bicycling for women he said We have many bicycles In China but no new women certainly a very polite way of making his opinion clear On the steamer which brought Li to America were two young American singers At the viceroys request they went through their extensive repertoires reper-toires of popular songs for his benefit I is an interesting indication of oriental orient-al taste in the matter of music that the only song for which he made a special request was the labiant ditty Linger Longer Lou which seemed to please him greatly a he repeated the title softly to himself several times When the singing was finished and Earl Li had expressed his appreciation appre-ciation o it by murmuring divine beautiful and had convevedi his thanks through a interpreter he asked the young women innumerable questions I How old were they How much pay did they get Why did they go on the I stage Did their profession assure i them of a good standing in their own I country or were its members looked down upon These and many others of like import im-port were answered for him Then the viceroy carefully studied the pair Refinedv very refined was his comment com-ment and beautiful Then he asked through the interpreter inter-preter Why is it that the women of your country are so much more intelligent in-telligent than the Chinese women adding half to himself I wonder if it is because their feet are not bandaged ban-daged An interesting chapter in the viceroys vice-roys life that has not hitherto been published was related by one of his secretaries It may possibly account for Li Hung Changs interest in women wo-men and his liberal ideas as to their proper position Li Hung Chang said the secretary secre-tary is now 74 He was married when he was about 40 and his wife died four years ago She was a brilliant bril-liant and cultivated woman which is as you may understand the exception rather than the rule in China The viceroy always consulted her and usually followed her advice In all important im-portant matters She kept careful watch of the political situation and it is generally believed in Chinese imperial im-perial circles that she furnished more than onehalf the brains of the household house-hold It is certain that Li Hung Changjs rise to wealth and power was rapid after his marriage and that since the death of his wife he has made several costly mistakes It is whispered whis-pered among the members of his suite that Li Hung Chang would not be averse to taking another wife and that a young and beautiful English or American woman would please both the viceroy and the emperor Little is known of Li Hung Changs domestic nature and on this point too the testimony of his secretary is interesting in-teresting The viceroy is an indolent man said he Were It not for the urgent necessity imposed by his official position po-sition he would not go to the exertion of attending all the ceremonies prepared pre-pared for him The constant service of attendants to carry him about is required not on account of his weakness weak-ness but because of indolence He is not an unkind or Inconsiderate master He requires instant attendance when he wants anything but on the whole his servants have an easy time of It If he gets angry with one of them the offender is at once discharged but he remains upon the viceroys payroll and Is practically pensioned for life |