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Show First Public Address of Noted Diplomat Since Return to the United States. DENIES HE HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH BOYCOTT Praises America for Her Interest Inter-est in the Modernizing of Celestial Nation. NEW YORK, April 2i. Rearing messages, of peace ami gooel will from the Celestial empire and expressing the j conviction that , the relations between China and the United States will be- jCome closer every day. Wing Tu-fang, minister from .China, speaking tonight at tho banquet, of the American Asiatic j association at Dclnmnico's, made his first public aeldrtss since his return to America. The awakening of China to Western civilization and the broad industrial field opened in consequence io American Ameri-can trade were themes interesting developed de-veloped tonight by .ludgc L. 17. "Wilfloy of .Shanghai, judge of the United States court for China, and John Barrett, eli-rcctor eli-rcctor of the International Bureau of, American republics, both of Whom shared with Wu Ting-fang, the principal princi-pal guest, in the honors of Ihe evening. Noted Celestial Applauded. Wu Ting-fang was welcomed with cheers and applause by the diners, who rose and drank a toast to the eliploroat. from the Orient, when he was introduced. intro-duced. The Chinese minister was gowned in a fetching brown polonaise, with salmon-luted sleeves ami wore a black and red-buttoned cap, in front of which bla7.ed an enormous jewel denoting de-noting his high rank. Wu Ting-fang said: China Modern Nation. 'It it worth while for merchants who with to have dealings with China to study the progress she is now making. China has become moderni7.ed. That being be-ing the case, her people will necessarily neces-sarily learn more from, the Western countries and they will ae'.quii'e some of the western habits, and tasters. This will increase, the trade with foreign countries. coun-tries. - j "I ejuile agree with your ehnirman when ho says that in the history of the intercourse between China and America there has been no lime when there .were so few .matters of controversy contro-versy requiring treatment. There, are now no . matters of rreat controversy between the two nations which cannot be amicably settled and the political horizon is smooth and clear. There is no mist or cloud such as T am aorrv to say existed some years ago and which happily has been' dispersed. In this connection' T am referring lo the incident inci-dent which is well known to you all T mean tho boycott, of American goods. Tt was alleged that I started the boycott, boy-cott, or if not, that T inspired it. "I cannot imrlerstand how this absurd rumor ru-mor originated. T can say that it was ono of the most malicious libels that could be invented against a person, as it hnd not the least foundation. Explains the Boycott. "The boycott was started in Shanghai Shang-hai and' in the south of China while T was one of the ministers in the Wai Wu Pu (tho foreign office) in Pekin, and J anel my colleagues were doing all wo could to stop t tic agitation. "After years of slumber, the most intelligent portion of our people have had a feeling of nationalism slirreel in their breasts. Whatever you may dub it, patriotism, unrest or what nor it is there and ihe people are very sensitive about it, which we know from experience experi-ence is natural both with individuals and with nations. jS'ow there are some people who woulel poke fun a I. this feeling, feel-ing, disparage it, or even suggest its suppression by forcible measures or by d'Miionstratioiis. Tt is noedless to 3ay that this narrow-iniiuleel and shortsighted short-sighted view does not fenel tei pacify or soothe the feeling. The effect is just the opposite. Praise for Americans. " The- American people, appreciating with their greatness of mind and soul all tho weaknesses anel exaggerations of a new-born spirit, have .treated it with consideration and have ;ylopt;ed the proper view that this spirit, murks the . true awakening 6f China, anel that i whatever taint of anti-foreign feeling with which it is imbued will rapidly elisappcar as soon as it is understood that, the nation against whom hostility is exhibited is really a friend in disguise. dis-guise. "China's rplntions with America will always remain frienelsly. It is natural ! that "they should be so when you consider con-sider that your policy is justice and fair play anel "on our' side honesty and straight forwnreliiuss. You may be sure acts of kindness and fairness, such as the return or waiver of over ten million dollars to China, will certaiu.lv create a most favorable impression in China and strengthen the bond of friendship between the two countries. Xo more misunderstandings. J feel sure, can occur oc-cur in tho future anel ihe relationship between the two countries will yet; become be-come closer day by day |