44
THE STUDY OF CHINESE.
(Daily Press, 7th August). JOHN BULL, who is continentally believed to take his pleasures sadly, takes his business with a cheery sang froid that is remarkable when we remember how often he is aljured to"wake up," and warned that he is going to the dogs in consequence of his easy-going methods of conducting business.
But per- haps it is not so remarkable after all. for the moral of the teller of fables is most clear, that too many cries of "wolf" result in a calloused car. Such a deaf ear has been turned to the fiscal warnings of Mr. JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN; and such in- difference, if indifference it can justly be called, awaits all excitable prophets of disaster, even when they may have some reason to sound the note of warning. It may be argued, of course, that there is no indifference really, and that the British imperturbability is akin to that of the tortoise which beat the hare in the Asor handicap. Trade returns and statistics have a knack of appearing to upset the calculations of the croakers, and showing that though the methods of his competitors may be more showy and attractive, the
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
to sell sonu
[August 12, 1905.
GERMAN TROOPS IN CHINA.
'that." The result, or rather, one result, ! of that undoubtedly has been the wider spread throughout the world of the English
(Daily Press, 8th,August.) tongue. There is scarcely a town of Au unpleasant sensation, says the Tinus, aux importance in Europe where a shop. has been caused in German by an action keeper cannot be found
tri at Halle in which Herr KUNERT, & thing in English an I to change an English Reichstag Deputy, was charged with libel- sovereign. In China, it is often remarked, ling the officers and soldiers who served with and we do not think it is an exaggeration, the German East Asiatic force, in one of his that when two Chinese from different election addresses. The words complained 1 of were: "Our soldiers devastated the land provinces meet in Shanghai or Hongkong, they converse in English, or in what passes and plundered and ravished women." Such for English in these parts. The French. ; a trial could scarcely have occurred in any man from Tonkin says to his ricsha coolie,, other country, except, of course, Russia, Allez, Vite." bat generally has to follow where the sufferer is not a person nor even it up with, Go on. Chop-chop." It is a body corporate, but a more nbstraction. even sometimes alleged that the greatest The whole question at issue was merely one trouble our patriotic American friends have of fact; and it might have been supposed is that they are obliged to make their 4th that on that point the Court would have been of July speeches in English! Coming back prepared to hear evidence as to whether or to the question of learning Chinese, it is
not the charge were true. It is quite true ' easy to see that if the Englishman has found that truth may be a libel, and that there the study of European languages
are circumstances, when to blare abroad a worth the candle" for commercial purposes, man's misdeeds, so far from being a benefit he will think twice about devoting his mind to the community, may only serve as an to the acquirement of such a formidable opportunity for the gratification of private language as Chinese. It is certain that he spleen. Had such a plea been urged in has thought at least once about it; and that the case it would have been perfectly his neglect is deliberate, rather than care-i logical and comprehensible; but this does less. There is
semi-humorous, half not seem to have been the line pursued. The
defendant was serious remark often made by taipans that
not permitted to examine the man who has fitted himself to transact witnesses of standing whom he desired to business direct with the Chinaman has bring into Court, amongst whom unfitted himself to transact business with
Geter.l vox LESSEL, who had been in com- anybody. For the smattering of colloquial, mand of the Brigade, nor Herr VON BRANDT Germanor even the extensive knowledge of who had been German Minister at Peking, colloquial, is not enough with which to and who was well acquainted with the tackle big contracts, and there are many position of affairs. Enough was, however, with such knowledge who prefer to employ eliminated to show that as a fact Herr the interpreter when an important transac
KUNERT'S statements were justified as to tion is in question. It is easier to have what had actually taken place, and though a misunderstanding through one Chinese he might have been guilty of indiscretion, word than through one English word.
.
1
+
"not
results are such that JoHN BULL bus no need to fall into the habit of worrying or of fussing. There have not lately been any particularly noticeable prophecies, that we know of; but some of the minor reprimands continue to make their appearance. The advice given
young commercial men, to avoid the compradore nuisance by studying the Chinese language, which advice of the German Cousul at Shang hai we mentioned some months ago, is being frequently quoted; and we note that Mr. JAMES SCOTT, the British Consul at Canton, has endorsed the wisdom of it by expressing his egret that Britous do not take the
In practice it is sufficient to notice that trouble to learn the language of the Chinese the possession of an intimate acquaintance with whom they du so much business. | with Chinese does not necessarily mean We presume that no one, not even the wealth, to upset the suggestion of those who young commercial men directly addressed, think that the successful study of Chi ese will deny that it would be a great advantage is the “ open sesame to trade. A sinologue sometimes to be able to talk directly with be
may a policeman an interpreter, their Chinese customers and clients. The Customs
1
mau, and several other removal of the middle-man is usually regarded things, but it does not follow that he can as a desideratum, even when the middle-man be, by virtue of his special attainment, a is honest: when the middle-mau has a liking prince of commerce. It is, we repeat, not a squeeze," and such excellent opportu question of what may be or might be, but nities for making the same, the desirability a matter of what is. This, inter alia, is of getting rid of him is tenfold greater. noted by the intending student, who is fur- But the peculiarly favourable position of ther faced by the necessity of choosing the compradore for feathering his own nest, which particular dialect of Chinese he will as compared with the disadvantageous devote his studies to, by the length of time position of his uni-lingual employer, is that must be given to it, and by the exam- no new discovery. The disadvantages of ple of so many others who have managed having to transact business with go-betweens, well without it, and who do not neglect to compradores, interpreters, and other agents, te him so. Recreation appeals very was discovered long ago, and we cannot strongly to the athletic and sporting young believe that it was mere indifference that Englishman, but, as we have suggested, it bas confined the study of Chinese to a few is not only that. He is quite business like sinologues. Joнs BULL bas never been a enough to ask the question,
!
"Will it good linguist. The terrible ignorance he pay and when, as is usually the case in Shows of the comparatively simple continen- this particular matter, the answer is tal languages of commerce is a matter of "no," there is an end of it, and no amount general comment with Frenchmen and Ger- of preaching by those who have so ably mans who learn English as they learn book, traversed the pons asinorum will summon keeping, as one of the rudiments of business. back the abandoned intention. It is not,
Perhaps Joux BULL is not so simple, so as we have already pointed out, stupid, after all.
It is necessary in trade for unmix d regret. This laziness, this that the traders should understand each indifference, or this calculating economy of other. A common language is necessary, energy, whichever way it be described, has The foreigner learns Engli-h. It would not
hal one result for which many Englishmen improve the position, so he thinks, for JOHN are thankful and proud: the universal BULL to learn their lingo." go to the spread of the English speech. frequent cry that he must en ulate the enterprise and industry of his competitors, in acquiring languages, JOHN BULL turns a deaf ear. Volapuk? Esperanto: If they want a universal language," he says, "what's the matter with English Let them learn |
C
7
a matter
Mr. Alexander S. Harvey, of the Inner Temple and Oxford Circuit. formerly of his Majesty's Consular Service in China, has been appointed Professor of English and Interna- tional Law to the University of Pekin.
were
or even worse as to the time and manner of utterance, that was apparently not the case Herr KUNERT as the before the Court. result of the trial was sentenced to three month's imprisonment, not on the ground that his statements were false in fact, or malicious in intent, but that they were a reff ction on the whole German Army and, more extraordinary still, the Court held that outrage was a necessary element in war. Such a doctrine openly announced from such a position seems to have startled even that most submissive of nationalities-the German civil community.
Now in affirming the truth as a matter of fact of Herr KUNERT's asseverations, we are not to be taken as accusing the German Army: with that we have nothing to do.
When we come to hard facts, it is, however,
undeniable that the European troops landed in North China in the autumn of 1900 did commit unmentionable atrocities, and that in these atrocities portion of the troops took part. those atrocities were preventible, and that no charges were made of similar misconduct in the case of the Japanese or English con- tingents. The military occupation of Pechili in 1900 is not, perhaps, a thing of which those immediately concerned have any cause to be proud. In many respects it resembled the Crusades of the twelfth century; the same high pretensions in its conception, the sanie miserable exhibition of ineptitude and jealousy, not unmixed with open frand and spoliation in its progress; the same inane ending with nothing accomplished, except the general lowering of the standard of honour amongst the nations of the West. In a rare for filthy lacre, where all distin-
IL la iusu certain that
gui hed themselves, it is no disparagement to own that Russia won easily, but Germany was not in the end far from the gaol; and both displayed a marked desite to linger round the scenes of their not altogether