THE LANGUAGE QUESTION.
(Daily Press, 22nd January.) It was at one time the habit to declare that the great thing necessary to enable anyone to succeed in China was that he should learn Chinese. It was urged that it was simply absurd for any person to expect to do well in this country without a knowledge of "the language," and it was a favourite
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
amusement with the few who were acquainted with it to some extent to expatiate upon the benighted state of outsiders who carried on their mercantile operations and followed other pursuits in complete ignorance of either the
Mandarin or the Punti. It cannot be denied that upon every principle of reason and common-sense these views seemned worthy of acceptance; upon merely abstract grounds it certainly ` de es appear an absurdity to expect to succeed with a people with no knowledge of their language and very little of their customs. It is, therefore, not surprising that those who argued in this direction seemed to have everything their own way and that few persons were venturesome enough to attempt to answer them. At the same time, there has always been a feeling-perhaps not exactly "uttered or expressed," but none the less fully entertained-that learning Chinese by anyone who has not a direct professional reason for doing so such as being in the public service or occupying some exceptional position in which the language is indie pensable, is a mistake. It has thus happened that notwithstanding all the advocacy in favour of acquiring a knowledge of Chinese very few persons in ordinary situations in China have taken the trouble to do so; and, though it may seem a bold statement to make, it can scarcely be said that they have been to blame for the course which they have adopted. The plain truth is that in most positions in China people Boon find out that the game is not worth the candle, Some few make attempt at getting at least some knowledge of the spoken dialect in the particular place where they happen to be, but this is soon found to lead to very little; and the greater num ber find that after a creditable effort to master the uninviting monosyllables which, combined with the proper tones and par- ticles, make up the spoken dialect, they fail to master. enough to enable them to keep up a conversation on any ordinary
fain after all topic, and
to retreat upon the despised "pidgiu" English, which, for all practical purposes, stands them in better stend. This fact indeed that “pidgin " English is available will always act as a wet blanket apon acquiring the Chinese language: Enthusiasts who imagine
arq
in a reasonable time they will be able
[January 27, 1906.
118 not surprising the study is so frequently well make the angels weep.
abandoned.
Thus, however much it may be a subject of regret, it is futile to hope that matters in this respect will change in any marked degree. It may be very desirable to know Chinese, but the plain fact is that life is not long enough for it. Certainly the time which Europeans as a rule are content to spend in the Far East is much too short, and thus after more or less creditable efforts at mastering the language the most energetic and most studiously inclined are as a rule disposed after a certain time to abandon the attempt. Even those whose professional avocations demand an acquaintance with the language are as a rule largely depen. dent upon their more or less faithful teachers, and seldom venture to translate a document of any importance without the assistance of their Chinese guides, philosophers and friends.
common-sense of the majority have in the end come out fairly and no dangerous or premeditated has hitherto been made to upset the quo. The Community through their cipal Council have for want of the of exercise apparently permitted the powers in the beginning formally delegatel to lie dormant. We say, i parently" with intention, because, though as long as by representations through the customary channels it was possible to gain redress, it was more natural that a body of merchants should prefer this course, the original powers were all through in full reserve, and were really at the founda. tion of the settlemen of all previous disputes. Uufortunately, through the aggres sive action of the reactionary party, just now as the “Young China” particularly in evidence in all parts of the Empire, it has These facts may be discouraging to those becoine necessary to call attention to those who desire to see more intimate relations fundamental principles which were publicly established between Europeans and Chinese; agreed on at the foundation of the Settle- but unfortunately it is impossible to ignore ments as a place of foreiga residence, and them. The language difficulty will always subsequently, as a matter of safety for the stand as a great barrier between the East Chinese Government itself, were substang and the West, and, we are forced to the tially extended in 1854 after the capture conclusion that if a more intimate inter- of the native city by insurgents, against change of ideas is ever to be brought about | whom, as in the recent disturbances, it will be by the Chinese learning European the Chinese Government with its usual Languages, not by the Europeans mastering unpreparedness could exercis, no force of Chinese. In the former direction there is restraint." Mr. F. ANDERSON states thi room for hope from the increased knowledge position in the following masterful words which the Chinese must by degrees acquire in the letter referred to:- from the larger numbers of more educated among them who now visit foreign countries, Those who have acquired a knowledge of foreign affairs in this way must gradually have an influence upon their countrymen, and the old idea that all that is not Chinese is to be regarded as a curiosity (very similar, by the way, to our own views of all that is Chinese) will gradually give way to a recognition that there is something worth serious study in foreign customs and litera. Chinese, we may look for a better under- ture. If once this fact be seized by the standing upon many matters which now separate the Chinese from Europeans; and possibly a gradual infusion of more advanced be effected by this process. ideas upon political and other matters may
STATUS OF SHANGHAI,
(Daily Press, 23rd January.) It is satisfactory after so much rubbish has been written on both sides to find so
clear und able au exposition of the actual status of the Foreign Settlements at Shang- hai as appears in the letter of Mr. F. ANDERSON to the SENIOR CONSUL, dated, January 11th. From the fact that the Municipal Council is entirely composed of mercantile elements, whose interests are in-
Chalk to Chinese in their own tongue and timately bound up with the good-will of the |
2
in their own way, are bound to have their various Foreign Ministers at Peking, and courage damped when a means of inter- through them of the Consuls who represent Course so much more simple stands ready them on the spot, a habit has naturally their hand and are likely to question grown up of refraining as far as possible - whether, with such a medium available, from the discussion of the political status they are not after all wa-ting much of the Community as an organised body valuable time in a vain and useless attempt. There are those who take up the study in a more serious
vein, and endeavour to master the Mandarin dialect and the complex written character, but of these many drop the study long before they have brought it to the point of anything like practical utility. It may be interesting Be giving them some dim insight into Chinese literature; but
it even in this respect, the amount which an average European can learn by three or four years hard study in his leisure hours amounts to so little that it
and acquiescing as far as possible in what has been momentarily decided on by the body of the Treaty Consuls as represented by the doyen for the time being. So long as things went on smoothly this rough and ready machinery continued to work fairly easily, though now and then, when by chance an individual of greater or lesser eccentricity, or one capable of being acted upon by external forces in an undue degree, came to occupy the post, there came to be evolved strange and often fantastic theories, which in the words of SHAKESPEARE might,
"The action taken by the Consular boly
and the Municipal Council in instituting police supervision at the Mixed Court, so shown to be essentially necessary in the in- far from being illegal and wrong, has been terests of good governtaeut. By virtue of the Land Regulations and the peculiar status of the Foreign Settlement, wherein the sovereign rights of the Chinese are admittedly modified, the maintenance of law and order within municipal limits is vested in the properly constituted judicial and executive authorities
by the properly authorised representatives of of the Settlement, and from this it follows clearly that the supervision of the Mixed Court these authorities is in accordance with the Land Regulations.
he fact that this police supervision has been only recently intro:inced is admitted, but the right to exercis, it has undoubtedly always existed, and the recessity for its introduction has for many years past grown with the increasing importance of the interests affected by the Court's administration
This is no new doctrine, but is clearly and succinctly pointed out in the speech ALCOCK made by the late Sir RUTHERFORD Land Regulations in 1854, The situation on the official promulgation of the Revised was then not altogether dissimilar to the present; owing to the criminal neglect of the 1 cal Chinese officials the Native City rebels, and the Committee of Land Holders, had been taken possession of by a band of
who then occupied the position now taken Sir RUTHERFORD ALCOCK to obtain for them by the Municipal Council, had applied to the power of more effective municipal con- trol. The petition stated that the capture of the city bad thrown into the Settlement "a crowd of housel as refugees, who littered the streets with filth, and at night disturbed its peace and quiet by street brawls und drunken revels. A proper regard for our own health and comfort, as well as for the good order of the settlement renders necessary some effective measures to keep
them under control." With reference to this report Sir RUTHErford said it met
with his entire concurrence.
The question for the meeting to decid Municipal government wa whether there should be one should take. The new code
seemed “therefore not so much
framed