1940-01-26 — Page 3

THE CHINA MAIL, JANUARY 25,

Alexy, Suppress

wwwns Come

A THIN YELLOW LINE

Three Ways of Thought in Ancient | very substance of the Way and its

China, By Arthur Waley. (Allen and Unwin. 7. 6d.)

The Wise Man rests there- Power ... in, and because he rests, he is at peace To remain detached from all

is the climax outside things, fineness."

of

a

To enjoy this, like other transla- tions by Mr. Waley, it is not neces-

But the Taoist is not necessarily sary to be an orientalist. While the recluse, and he is far too intelligent to sinologue, the anthropologist, and the

be unaware of what is going on amateur of political science (if there around him. In political and social really is such a thing) may each

matters his doctrine is one which, if glcan a useful harvest from it, the only because he believes that law more casual, dabbling reader can read makes criminals, we should in Europe it for pleasare, safe with a translator call anarchism ("the only political

and of sensibility, taste

wit, who

doctrine," Mr. Herbert Read has said, knows how to filter, adapt, interpret which is consistent with our love of and arrange his material. The book justice and our need for freedom"). consists of annotated extracts from The Taoist's objection to war is not three ancient Chinese philosophical conscientious," but simply reason- works made up largely of anecdotes, able: "it is based on the absolute in- fables and dialogues, and appealing significance and futility of the utmost respectively to the imagination,

that conquest can gain or that defence the sense of propriety, and to

can secure, when compared with the less enlightened kind of appetite for limitless inward resources of the in- law and order. The Taoist Chuang dividual" Non-attachment, Taoism, is devoted to the anarchism: these words remind us that cultivation of the inner powers

we seem to have heard something of the individual; the Confucian

lately about a "thin yellow line" of Mencius to the pursuit of goodness pacifism. There is a thin yellow line and a conventional morality; and the of pacifist thought that runs right "Realists" to something barely dis- through civilisation. It is so strong as tinguishable from Nazi-ism, to the to be unbreakable, and yellow is the supremacy of the State, to the fuhrer-cleanest of colours. By putting us in prinzip (or tyranny), to

touch with Chuang Tzu Mr. Waley has made this line vibrate, and in a world of detonating high explosives its vi- brations are not merely perceptible, but reassuring.

Tzu

war

to

the

re-

(or the forcible expansion of lebensraum), to rules and regulations, to the promo- tion of mutual espionage, to the suppression of culture, and the jection of private standards of right and wrong.

Yes, even China in the fourth century B.C. had its anti-de- be mocrats and its Gestapos. If it one of our war alms to "crush Nazi- ism" we have begun a little late in the day: how can one "crush" a mode of thought and policy that has had fts followers all through history?

is

|

Chuang Tzu, says Mr. Waley, "one of the most entertaining as well- as one of the profoundest books in the world." Chuang Tzu, in fact, is a philosopher to the marrow, whereas Mencius is something of a moralist, virtuous and vexable, a trifle school- masterish, even a little Blimp-like in his conservatism. Certainly Mencius is on the side of decency, dignity, and peace.

A king asked him how a world settlement could be arrived Mencius. at. By unification, said "Who is capable of uniting the world?" the king asked. "If there wero—a single ruler who did not delight in slaughter," said Mencius, "he could unite the whole world." In conversa- tion with another king he enlarged upon a subject that was later to in- terest that very different philosopher Balzac-the effect of poverty on character and behaviour and sug- gested what is sometimes forgotten, that good government, good manners, and good morals are impossible with- out filling the bellies of the people.

Mencius makes us respect him, but Chuang Tzu charms us. While fish- ing in a river he was interrupted by two high officers of State who had

|

William Plomer.

CHINESE CONSTABLE STABBED

LI

A CHINESE CONSTABLE, HING-PO (NO. C693), WAS STAB- BED TWICE IN THE BACK YES- TERDAY

AFTERNOON IN THE COURSE OF A STRUGGLE WITH A* SNATCHER, WHO WAS LATER AR- RESTED.

It is alleged that the snatcher, Chan Fong, and another man, were riding a tandem in Argyle Street at 1 pm. One of them, passing a yesterday.

Wal-chung, Chinese woman, Yeung 22, snatched away her scarf.

The woman raised an alarm and the men were stopped by Ll and an-

The men got other constable. the cycle and ran away.

Li caught up with Chan who then used a dagger. He was arrested by the neigh- another police officer in

off

bourhood.

Li has been admitted to the Kow- loon Hospital.

FRENCH

SPEECHES IN

come to offer him, a dictatorship. WHITE PAPER

29th.

London, To-day.

Without even bothering to look up he told them a parable about a holy tortoise, and ended,, "Well then, be of A White Paper Issued yesterday with you, and leave me to drag my contains the texts of speeches by the tall in the mud.” This attitude was a French Premier and French Minister symptom of his "non-attachment," a of Finance in the Chamber and Sen- doctrine not without its followers|ate on Dec. 22nd, and 24th., 28th and among living Englishmen.

"Quietness, stillness, emptiness, not- It is stated to be the first occasion having, inactivity these are the on which a Paper has been presented balancers of Heaven and Earth, the to the British Parliament exclusively devoted to speeches by the Ministers. of another Government in their own Legislature and the Innovation is re- garded as not without significance In relation to the close collaboration now existing between the British and French Governments.--British Wire- less.

YOUR LUCK.

On family, profession, love, health, income, expenses, unexpected fortunes & misfortunes, journeys, lucky days, colour, num- ber, luck in lottery, race, etc., and other important events, by monthly de- tails, for one year) $4, Weekly $14. Corr swers for Ave questions about $2; - Payable in adtanı

fry: currency,

State birth

sion and

an-

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