1927-08-06 — Page 12

12.

"DEMOCRACY."

Sun Yat-sen's Ideal For China.

SECOND LECTURE SERIES..

The "Fetish" of Western Imitation.

GOVERNMENT BY SPECIALISTS.

THE CHINA MAIL.

wards their government, however to upset the government. Do you good it is. This feeling must be think that a state in this condition checked or government becomes can be a stable one? impossible.. But how? Europe We in China can easily avoid has as yet no answer. Mine is, the mistakes of the westerners believe, the Arst that has been which have left their democratic auggested. 'It takes the form of a system incomplete if we keep in distinction between the two kinds mind this distinction between of "power." To explain this power. and ability. When the: must recapitulate what I said be-Government is a good one, we fore about the different kinds of must entrust everything to it men,

When the Government is a bad

You will remember that I dividone our four hundred millions ed men into three classes, first the should exert their royal preroga- inventive man with the highest tive and remove it from power. kind of ability who can express Need for Specialists, views on any subject, who can In the fifth of the second series of lectures, the late Dr. Sun listen to one sentence and carry like the Indian watchmen hired The old emperors were rather Yat-sen gives reasons for his contention that government in a out all kinds of enterprises. These democracy such as he idealises for Chih must be by specialists, men are landers in progress and by militarists who have retired to civilisation and originators gen- Shanghai and other concessions to with political power in the hands of the people and executive ability erally. Next comes the teachable enjoy their loot and are afraid man who cannot himself originate A popular government ought on of being assaulted or blackmailed. as the province of the government official,

The "Father of the Republic” admits the necessity for adapting but can follow where the inventive the other hand to regard its offi- !

to China's needs discoveries in material science, but considers that It is a mistake to attempt to model China's government on the lines of European political science.

BOXER RISING LESSONS.

The fifth of the second series of lectures le as follows:-

Why has Chinese democratic theory followed European lines? The is that during the paat hundred years science in Europe has progressed rapidly and is now far ahead of Chinese,

Twenty or thirty years ago the Chinese were still using bows and arrow, swords and spears. The Boxers fought with swords ngainat machine guns, even so they drove back the British com mander and his three thousand men who were forced to retreat to Tientsin to await reinforcements. Seymour himself admitted that had the Boxers been armed with modern weapons his force would

man leads. Third comes the ignorant man who can only do cials as the shareholders of a com what he is told. In matters of any do their manager, that is as state the first initiates a policy, specialists. It is because the the second preaches it, and the ments are not specialists that de members of European govern- third carries it into practice. Practice is part of progress so theocracy has not been a success third class have their place, just Japan and Germany have made as in building a house you need such rapid progress in recent an architect, foremen and labour- era. The labourers cannot under-years. stand the plan. They do what the

there and that autocracies like

To illustrate my argument, I

The ideal has been slowly gaining ground following the natural in foremen tell them, while the Will take the example of the motor clinations of the people, not the theories of scholars, and western foremen could not have made the car. Twenty years ago the owner of the car had himself to be both democracy is still in the middle of plan or done the calculations.

driver and mechanic. But now- The Thiry Types,

adays a class of experts in both road encumbered with stum- bling blocks. China adopted the

In all things we need these these progressions has arisen and representative system from the three types of man; the third type the owner of a car needs to pay | west, but failed to adopt the good is most numerous, the second leas for securing their services. Like points in it, and spoiled what she so, the first least of all; but with-all other arts and crafts that of

require experts. did adopt. Her representatives out them all nothing can succeed. Government

But we who under-

Take the case of weapons of war. have sold themselves like slaves; Even so in political reforms, each What we need is an expert for they are stinking, filthy, rotten should take a hand. We should President, experts for Cabinet and vile beyond anything in the realise that democracy does not ministers and heads of depart world. The lesson has not merely come about naturally but is an ments, then and not otherwise we been learned badly, it has been artificial thing, and that we must can expect progress and rapid pro- learned wrong.

create our system and give power greas, I remember once in Shang- Defining Government..

to the people without waiting for hai when I was in a hurry to get a certain rendezvous, being If then we are not to imitate them to demand it.

Some days ago I was talking to puzzled because my driver took the westerners, what are we to do? "Restore the monarchy,"

a Japanese who was an official in me by a circuitous route. We ar say some.

Korea. After a while I asked him rived, however, in good time and stand the signs of the times know casually, "How about the Revolu-when I asked the driver why he that this is not the answer. Then tion in Korea? Will it succeed 7" did not take the direct route he what is? The first thing to do is He could not answer. I then aak- explained that the congestion of to define government. My defini-ed him, "What is the attitude of traffic on that road would have, have been annihilated.

tion of this is "The management the Japanese officials in Korea, caused us too much delay. If I had backed my opinion against the Now regarding The Boxer rising proved the of everybody's business."

administration He replied, "It de- his expert knowledge I should atrength of Chinese national feel- Chinese society character and cus- question?" ing: It was also the end of Chin- toms are quite unlike those of pends on the Koreans, if they ask have been too late. That is what ese confidence that their civilian-Europe and therefore need a dife for self-government we would mean when I say that the Euro- peans have originated the idea of tion could stand against western ferent kind of management. give it; but they do not, so we science. It is not only in arma- Machinery and its uses are the have to administer the country for democracy but have falled to make ments that the westerners have same in all countries but it would them." Now this is a wrong attlt work. They realise that de

mocratic government has surpassed us: in means of com- be a great mistake if we consider tude to take up. If we wait for worked but they have not dis- munication, railways and tele-ed such things as character and the masses of China to ask for covered the reason for its failure. graphs, in every instrument of customs in the same way. The self-government, we may wait for That is my discovery. We must husbandry manufacture and ex-machinery of government is an ever. We must take it on our change they were ahead of us. immaterial thing working on the selves to devise a scheme and pre distinguish between political pow Therefore since that time Chinese spirit, and the study of psycho-sent self-government to the er which belongs to the people and executive ability which is the pro- people. thinkers have become convinced logy unlike material science is a

To consider further my distine-Our statesmen must not simply be vince of the government official. that if China is to be strong growth of the last twenty or

tion between "power" and enough to wipe out the disgrace thirty years and is even now far "ability"

we find throughout distinguished men. They must of that shameful treaty made from complete. under the walls of Peking, we Therefore while we should fol- Chinese history power concen- be experts in their profession like any other craftsmen. Then we must imitate the westerners in low Europe so far as "physical trated in the hands of the Em-shall have progress.. everything, not only in material science" is concerned, we may as well and their memory is re- science but also in the organisa- not accept as a whole their

(The sixth and final lecture of tion of government and society. methods of government, but vered on account of good govern- this series will appear in next

ment; at other times the Emperor Monday's "China Mail."] After the Boxer rising the Chin- must think out a new scheme of had the power but not the ability, ese lost all their self-confidence, our own; otherwise our far dif- which in an instance which I can they came more and more to wor-ferent characteristics will lead us quote was with his Minister. You ship foreign ideas and to adopt into trouble. Unless we adopt 4 all know the story of Oh Tau and foreign methods until they reach-system which reconciles our form his Minister Chu Kot Leung. Oh ed the point of putting into prac-of society with the ideas of the Tau ruled well because though he tice what was in Europe only a time we shall change our national had power he relied for ability theory. They had a revolution in character and run into danger.

peror; some emperors had ability

Most of

the most advanced form of popu-not to imitate but to study west-like Oh Tau, and if we are to re- the European style and adopted Can we do this? The first step is on Chu Kot Leung.

|China's four hundred millions are lar government after the Euro-ern democracy which though still form our system of government pean model and one most opposed incomplete has been for some time we must take care to emphasize to Chinese theory

in existence and is moreover the the distinction. The first step is subject of constant investigation to realise that the feeling so Modelled On Westernism. Before the rising China had had by western thinkers, as well as the widespread at present of opposi

subject of several new theories. tion between the people and the dealings with westerners and The latest of these is that of an Government is a relic of the ab knew that in many respects they American-professor who Baya, solute monarchy. We must get were superior. But the people "What democracy most fears rid of this feeling; and to do this generally did not believe in west- is an all powerful goy we need to go back in thought to ern civilisation, and so the Boxers destroyed railways and telegraphs grament uncontrollable by the prehistoric times when the mon

The best people.

and rejected the rifle in favour of the Chinese bow. Then they be government is

ohe

form of

arch held his place by virtue of which his ability to help his tribe prob- is all powerful yet is entirely ably as a fighter but perhaps even lieved in the superiority of things Chinese; but now we have under the control of the people as a wood-cutter or a cook, or a changed completely round. The Observe that in both cases he

and working for their benefit," doctor or a tailor or a carpenter. trouble which arose after the re- speaks of an absolute government,

What Is An Emperon? volution was due to this desire to Now how are we to get this ab- put western ideas of democracy solute government? and how hav- American traveller who was ask- There is a story about an into practice without complete in ing got it, are we to make it ed by a Peking countrymen why vestigation. I have tried to show in what way western democracy is fact most democratic govern- Emperor of China. "How could subservient to the people? In no foreigner had. made himself deficient, and what obstacles it met with in its progress and why while most undemocratic govern-way replied the farmer, point ments end in becoming ineffective, he asked the American. It should not serve us as a model."

No one can deny that in armaments incline to be absolute. ing to the telegraph wires by the ments as well as in all kinds of Take the case of Germany before road side, "The man who could

the War.

Fear of Despotism.

material science the west is ahead

make that could make himself of us. But is the same thing trus

Emperor of Chhia.” This sort of of their political science? Take Again there is a Swiss pro- thing shows that the idea is still the case of military science. No fessor who says, "The govern- familiar. After In and Shun, one reads hundred year old books ments of all true democracies monarchy-in China became abso- on military tactics: even books tend to become weak, because the lute; but now if the people had to written ten years ago are out of people are afraid that they will elect an Emperor and these two date now. Warships. costing five lose control over a powerful gov- could be candidates, I imagine or ten million pounds are scrapped ernment." This is a difficulty they would be elected. The Chin- after ten years. The guns used which needs to be met. The rea ese do not feel the same hostility in the Great War are already ob- son is that the struggle for to kings as do the Europeana. solete. The same thing is true of liberty and equality has been car They have not suffered so much all kinds of machinery. But ried beyond its proper limits and at their hands. The result of this when we come to political science left the government powerless is that the Europeans fear their we find the Europeans still using The Swiss professor's remedy lay governments as heirs of their the Republic of Plate as a text in a change of the popular atti- kings and the more complete the book. This proves that their tude towards government. What democratic system the easier it, li ideas on the subject have not this attitude should be we can changed radically for the past two understand when we consider how thousand years. We shall be mis- the Chinese people feel regarding taken if we adopt their politics as their great kings, Iu, Shun and we adopt their discoveries In the rest. Yet in fact, since material science. The American revolution their feeling even here democratic system has hardly has changed: Jug Shun, Yu; changed in the past hundred Tong, Man and Mo; were - years, while French democracy depots and therefore.

The isfactory. This shows.

has even retrogr

westerners have failed to solve the radical problem of democracy.

adifof

ople lik

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