1933-08-28 — Page 5

Page

MONDAY, AUGUST 28, 1933.

LITERARY NOTES

CHINESE ARTS AND

HANDICRAFTS

An Interesting Little Volume.

FOR THE "CASUAL RESIDENT”

A Sketch of Chinese Arts and

By Hilda

Crafts.

Strong.

Arthurs

If they have not already become acquainted with it in the first edi tion, those who are interested in Chinese art and handicrafts, yet cannot afford the time or cultivate. the patience to explore the excellent and learned toraes upon the subjec's, are recommended this second and revised edition of "A Sketch of. Chinese Arts and Crafts "

many

are glossed over or not points touched upon at all,

to

"Teaching Of Science

To The

The Chinese

A Critical Study By A Local Schoolmaster

PROBLEMS

AND

SUGGESTIONS

The Teaching of Science to the Science on China and the Chinese." Chinese. By L. G. Morgan, In some ways these effects have M.A.. B.Sc. (Kelly & Walsh). been far from beneficial, but the fault does not lie with Science but The publication on teaching, by with its exponents and teachers...

THE CHINA MAIL

TUT-ANKH-AMEN

Most Striking Of All

Egyptian Finds.

THE TOMB OF G$20,000 PRIZE FOR

FIRST NOVEL Niece Of Mr. B. D. F. Beith Scores Success.

PUBLICATION IN AUTUMN

Winning a prize of G.$20,000 Mr. Howard Carter on November with her first novel, is the achieve

įment of Miss Janet Beith, a niece}}

DR. CARTER ON HIS WORK

The tomb of Tut-ankh-Amen was opened by Lord Carnarvon and

26 1922.

Lord Carnarvon died shortly of Mr. B.. D. F. Belth, Shanghai after the opening, and since then manager of Messrs. Jardinė, Mathe- Dr. Carter has been fully occupied, except for short holldays in the 800 & Co. Ltd. whose brother is summer. recovering, preserving the well known writer, Ian Hay. and describing the treasures found.

in the tomb.

now,

Miss Janet Beith is the daughter of Mr. Donald Beith, head of the Account of Work Done,

Arm of Beith, Stevenson & Co., Ltd., Dr. Carter began as early as of Manchester. She matriculated a local schoolmaster, is sufficiently Two different mistakes have been possible the publication of a po novel in itself to warrant notice and are still being made. The Arst pular account of his work. In three years ago at Nuneham and being taken of it. There have been has been already noted, namely, Volume I he gave some space to the took her degree, with 2nd Class Its own gracefully worded intro-

publications many

ia Canton, the adoption without adaptation by history of the Valley of the Kings, Honours in History and Literature, duction sets forth what it is: an Shanghai, Nanking and Pelping, the Chinese of Western learning and the long years of searching after which she spend some time in appetiser-a preliminary course to but to my knowledge this is the If the Greeks had acted in this way that led up to this, the most striki satisfy a temporary want only first at any rate the first of any with what they borowed from ing of all Egyptian finds. He had teaching. But this work never ap- How well it fulfils these conditions real importance-that

thepealed greatly to her instincts, has been Egypt. and Babylonia and Crete, as yet confined himself to can only be judged by reading it. produced in Hong Kong.

they would not have made any im-crowded Anteroom, and the

con which were bent rather towards to culture tents there described seem Its opening motives are the his-

The subject is a wide one, en-portant contribution torical background of Chinese art tailing consideration of both sub-and civilisation.

with certain marked exceptions, to writing, and on seeing an adver its religious background, and a ject-matter and method, but Mr.

The second concerns more near-have paled beside the wealth that tisement offering G$20,000, from the publishing firm of Frederick, brief sketch of that very compli-Morgan has handled it efficientlyy Mr. Morgan's book and is dealt has since been offered to us.

Volume 2 we were taken Stokes & Co.. of New York, Misa cated adjunct, its symbolism. These and compressed into 150 pages tha with more particularly in Chapter In

VI, The Present State of Science-straight into the burini chamber: Beith determined to try her luck are not set out for the delectation results of much careful sludg.i of experts, hence controversial

teaching and Research in China," and however much our individual; reading and thought.

to more delicate, as an author. In the reviewer's oplalon, which fancies may turn For those unacquainted with thei attitude of the Chinese to Science seems to be shared by Mr. Morgan, works at art from the stove-rooms. Not a word of her intention was the same error is being made in the abrines which covered the mentioned to the members of her The casual resident in this coun (in its two-fold sense of organised China as was made in Britain two great sarcophagus and the nested family. try could ask for nothing better knowledge and the method by:

al- now coffins and the mummy must generations ago; and even

Taking the diary of her grand- From there, different sections of the arts and crafts of the country synopsis is given in Chapters I and beginning to free itself from its

which it is arrived at) a useful science-teaching in Britain' is only ways be the centre of attraction. father, the Rev. Dr. Beith. a Pres-

Best Of The Trilogy. byterian

parson whe came into are dealt with in more detail, and II and references are made to reincubus.

This last volume of "The Tomb prominence at the time of the as a conclusion there comes a chap cognised authorities in order

of Tut-ankin-Amen." recently pu""Disruption," Miss Beith wove the ter like a guide-book, only much facilitate further study.

Science in Schools.

blished. describes the objects story of her novel round the events more interesting, which

From the point of view of educa-) tells the

What the Chinese have done. tion. Science is more a method than found in the two small store cham- of his parish life in the West reader where and how he can see many of China's must distinctive In these chapters the author a branch, or series of branches, of bers, called by Dr. Carter the In- Highlands,

nermost Treasury and Store Room According to her own estimation treasures in Peking.

shows a wide acquaintance with knowledge. Huxley fought a auc-¦

respectively. For archaeologist, the book is a "mouldy" one. But recent removal of these what the Chinese have accomplish- cessful battle for the, introduction | treasures may make this chapter ed in all branches of science and of "Science" into the school curri-a connoisseur, and general read-that, of course, is due to the natur- superfluous. The decree has gone rightly concludes that there is no culum. but the "Science" that was er alike, It is the best of the tri-al modesty of the writer.

The book is to be called "No forth, however. that the treasures justification for the wide-held be-introduced was not what he envis-

With the whole material before Second Spring" and is to be pu- must be returned. Thus the au- lief-used, as is so frequently the aged as Science and one of our!

him the author was at last able to blished in the autumn simultan- of selence- thor's trouble' may not, after all, case in matters Chinese, on ignor- greatest exponents

teaching. Professor H. E. Arm-give his colleagues his own idea of eously in London and New York, be wasted. It is to be hoped it ance--that the Chinese- have no

the complicated family politics of English edition to be brought out strong, in the pages of "Nature" will not. For the final chapter aptitude for Science.

the royal house from Amenhotep by Messrs. Hodder and Stoughton. rounds of very well a most inter-

It was the slavish regard for the land elsewhere, has been protest-E to King Ay. He is yet sin- Miss Belth is one of a family of esting and instractive little volame. past that prevented them from lay-ins year in and year out, against gularly undogmatic, and not afraid five, being the elder of two sisters.

ing the foundations of a scientific the type of subject-matter that still

to admit that we are still only and having one brother older than system as was done by the pre-passes muster as "Science."

Guessing at the relationship of herself. Of her six uncles, thinkers Socratie

of ancient No wonder the Intelligent lay-Tut-ankh-Amen to the rest-though Hay is the eldest living, and Mr. B. Greece. (P. 34). Had the influence an asks what value there is in naturally he has his own ideas. D. F. Beith is the youngest. of tradition.. ritual, custom, been schoolboys learning the numer Regarding the rival claims of the fless, who knows but that the West able so-called "facts" of Phraica objects themselves, no one will con- would have had to come to the and Chemistry which to most test the right of the alabaster can- East for its Science as it did for Chinese schoolboys constitute the opic chest and its contents to alof All Fresh" is already a well- Their knowledge first place. Cased Ja a gilded known volume la Cape's Florin Burns'a profit on the sale of 612 great reliance on authority, too of these facts makes little, if any, wooden shrine, decorated with co-Books,

difference to their outlook on life loured hieroglyphs and a dado of cupien of the first issue..at Kilmar- great respect for "the sacred

or to their attitude to their neigh-gold sheet embossed with amuletic nock in 1786, of his poems, publish word," whether of Confucius, or

bours. ed at 3s, was 20. Yesterday at Aristotle, or St. Paul, or Sir James

signa, it contains the usual four Sotheby's Mr. Ben Maggs paid Jeans, is obvious.

alabaster jars, but with stoppers £1,800 for the book which the poet's Chapter III is a useful summary More attention must be given not splendidly carved in the likeness of staunch supporter, James, Earl of of present knowledge regarding only to the type of facts taught and Tut-ankin-Amen's head. Glencairn, had bought as an original the "Abilities and Mental Charac- learned but to the method by which they are presented and compre- On no Leristics of the Chinese."

In each of them is a minature hended. Professor Armstrong ad-gold coin Inlaid all over with Laspect of Chinese life is there

greated misunderstanding and acthe heuristic method which em-one of the masterpieces of the vocates the "method of discovery," precious stones and coloured glass It was an English contest at the ceptance of ideas which have

phasises the Inculcation of a scien- goldsmith's art for all time. finish. Mr. Gabriel Wells departed foundation in actuality.

tific attitude to life. This is the But the list might be endless.

The

A FIRST BURNS FOR £1,300.

Lord Glencairn's Copy

subscriber.

Seven years ago this identical' copy fetched £780 in the same

FOONS,

its religion? The lesson of too

no

whole of Science.

Better Methods Wanted.

logy.

Miniature Gold Coffins,

from the competition at £700, and Myths Regarding The Chinese. important thing and not the mem- One small complaint: Tut-ankb- the Rosenbachs were unrepresented.] The myth of the superiority of orising of a mass of artificially Amen does not mean “Living im- Even Mr. Walter Hill, of Chicago. the Chinese school-boy's memory selected facts and cram methods of age of Amen" (p. 21), but, as Bat- stood aloof, and the final fight was pereists. Mr. Morgan. goes come verification. In this sense tiscombe Gunn pointed out some between Mr. Maggs and the repre- way to explode it; but further re- Science is one, a unity; not a con-years ago, "Life of Amen is pleas- sentative of Messrs. Stevens. The search is necessary, not only in 'glomerate of self-contained sub-ling." auction maximum for a Kilmarnock|this connection, but on all aspects 'jects. Biology and Astronomy and Burus is £2,430, given in November, of Chinese mentality and ability, Physiology and a place along with 1929, for the copy which had real before those who have to teach the too often steroetyped studies ised £730 in the Huth sale, 1911. Chinese pupils (Westerners and called Physics and Chemistry.

The next best is £1,750 (April, Chinese) can make much real head- Much more might be written on 1925), paid for a copy which belong-way.

this aspect of the subject, but my

and

A THRILLER BY "TAFFRAIL.”

From China,

Dover-Ostend."

A-Cross-Chan-'

nel Thriller by "Taffrail" "C Hodder and Stoughton TB (d).

ed to a fortunate working-man liv The author has something inter- main intention is to send readers Adventures While Home ing in the North of England. esting to say on this subject as to Mr. Morgan's books, where 'At the end of a three-days' sale well as on the aesthetic sense of these things are treated with spe totalling over £7,100, 115 pages of the Chinese (which is too little ap cial reference to Chine and the the original manuscript of Barrie's pealed to, in local schools), their Chinese. The grafting of "Science" "Window In Thrums," reached £420, passivity (another myth, as the or on to what is best in Chinese cul- over 600 letters by Arnold dinary observer will agree, after ature in such a way as to aid this Bennett, containing more than 150,-yisit to any modern school or to great, but discontented, people to 000 words, attained £125.

In this book Capt. Dorlin, who the bathing-beaches around the mould their lives in harmony withi const), "face" (which still has a their historic development and as "Taffrail" has achieved fame as great influence and seems to be their new experiences that seems a writer of naval novels, makes one infecting foreigners who have to the reviewer the germinal of his rare excursions into the close contact with Chinese) their thought of the book. "spirit of inaccuracy" (character-

H-B

BEER

ON SALE

TODAY

"AT

all leading

istic of all who have no training in

Foreword by A. H. Crooke.

realm of the thriller with :con- Lieut. Comman~ spicuous success. Ider Geoffrey Wantage of the Royal Mr. Morgan will admit that he Navy meets with adventure on Selence); and their "manipulative has touched only the fringe of the first day of his return home skill" (which all praise who have rast subject. He has done 30 from China on leave. He and any dealings with Chinese mechan-with praiseworthy skill. We ear Cornelia Rudham fall into the Jics).

nestly hope that the success of hands of a gang of crooks, who in-

This is followed by two interest this study will stimulate him to daige in all sorts of villainy cul- Ing chapters, an historical resume farther consideration of some ofminating in the piracy of a Cross- on "The Introduction and Pro- the topics touched on and at Channel steamer crowded with gress of Western Science" (Chap very distant date give us the plea wealthy passengers. ter IV) and "Modern Educational sure as well as the benefit to be Aime" (Chapter V).. -

derived from reading such much the part played by Geoffrey Wan- The expture of the criminals and The Effects of Western Selence. needed studies,

Western Science like Western re:

tage are described with dramatic

There is a delightful foreword power, Eames, the butler, and his gion and Western politics, has by Mr. A. H. Crooke O.B.E. which wife are delightfully portrayed. been introduced too uncritically in-is characteristic of this versatile

to China and the educational aims (commentator on Things Chinese.

based on these importations have It is one of the best of the "Open a point too often naglected in been anything but convincing. Soames" to a work of this type that works of this kind......... They have been adopted without I know

If a second edition is called for being adapted. The result has A word of praise is due to the--and considering the importance been chaos in the educational publishers. Mesara. Kelly and of the subject and the great poten sphere as in the spheres of govern Walsh The format and printing tial public, it should be 2000--- ment and of morals. Hence the ure-all that could be desired. The should like to see a short biblio-

~NOAH LITTLER

Stores & Compradores. importance of Chapter II on book easy to handle and use graphy and a useful Index added,

The Effects of the Introduction of ful margin is left for annotations

an

Samuel Butler's novel, "The Way

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