Show MINISTER TO CHINA Charles R. R Crane Educated Without Aid of College Has Visited Nearly Every Country on the Globe and Is Master of Several Sev Seve eral crOll Languages Well languages Well Acquainted Acquainted Ac Ac- with Orient Chicago Charles Charles R. R Crane newly appointed minister from the United States to China is a rare type pf of citizen citizen citi citi- zen In that he was Voas born to wealth and yet may be bo classed in the roll of self- self made men He was was was' reared with the idea that a college education Is not essential to the life UCe success of a man who has a brain of his own and uses It His schooling ended when he had done with the public school What he has gathered of learning since then has been from Cram books and from Cram the tho world and its people as they have ap appeared appeared appeared to him in extensive travel Richard T. T Crane Sr father of Charles R R. Crane Is vigorously opposed opposed op Ope op- op posed to modern methods of education as carried on In the great universities and many of the public schools He does not believe these Institutions fit fita i ia a m man n properly for the battle of life me and says they are too theoretical and not sufficiently practical He went so soar tar far ar as to declare It would be a good thing for one of the states if it its state university buildings were blown up Whether Charles R. R Crane shared the he educational views of his father It t is a a fact that Instead of spending four years In college and winning a degree he be Jumped at once from his boyhood schooling Into the workshop and started the business career which r J Z r f I I l has las made him a man mm of practical mind and alert powers of observation When the opportunity came he Inaugurated inaugurated inaugurated in In- a program o of travel which sent him to many of the out of the way places of the world and gave him himan himan himan an Intimate knowledge of affairs pos pas sensed essed by few men even in these days daysI of globe trotting Mr Crane has set foot Coot in nearly every country on the globe has penetrated pene- pene tr rated ted to out way the nooks and corners corners cor cor- ners tiers has bas occasionally fitted out caravans caravans cara cara- vans of his own to explore unfrequented unfrequented lands and is as much at home lome in Russia or China as he is on his ils home street in Chicago He is a linguist of considerable attainments Is connoisseur In collector collector s a paintings a tor or of old and rare books and what Is s more a reader reade of the same He is prominent as as a civic enthusiast a and andor d for or years has been a powerful factor In n movements for the advancement of Chicago commercially physically and morally During his travels Mr Crane spent much time In China his business interests In In- taking him Into every provo Ince nee He came Into close contact with all classes of Mongolians In his home lomo is a large largo collection of curios of his many visits to o China In all his knocking about the globe Mr Crane was absorbing languages In his library in his his his' Michigan avenue home lome are books written In a dozen different languages They are not sorted according to catalogues as a n aless aless less scholarly owner would sort them but but instead are grouped under subject subject sub sub- heads beads Friends of Mr Crane say that when he wants to look up a reference reference ref ref- on a topic he be goes to his shelves and takes down books in several several sev seve eral different languages and reads them without the aid of lexicon a He HeIs Heis Heis Is said to read 12 languages and to speak with easo ease and fluency six or eight Five years ago Mr Crane added of his personal fortune to The Young Empress Fund for Russian soldiers and sailors This gift was waR made through Count chancellor chan of the empire and for it the donor was the recipient of grateful thanks from the empress Long and close contact with official and civilian life Ufe of given him a friendly I feeling toward that nation but at the the same time he has a warm spot in his heart for China and the Chinese The feeling is said to be reciprocated The Chinese have been drawn to other members of the family Professor Williams uncle of Mr Crane was professor professor prOfessor pro prO- fessor of Chinese at Yale and he ho is the author of a book on China Mrs Crane was Miss Cornelia W. W Smith whose girlhood home was Paterson Paterson Pat Pat- erson N. N J. J where she became the bride of Mr Crane 28 years ago Like her husband her interests are in the themore themore more moro substantial things of life lICe Her name does docs not appear in the membership membership membership member member- ship lists of any Chicago club The family has bas a beautiful summer home at Lake Geneva Wis and another at atWoods atWoods atWoods Woods Hole Mass |