1925-03-26 — Page 5

Page

CORRESPONDENCE.

WHAT IS *** RATIONALISM”?

[TO THE EDITOR OF THE

DALLY PERSA."}

HONG KONGO

Be-Will you allow me ·House · space in quest of knowledge: I shall be grate ful

From the Press reports of the recent B.P.A. dinner the Chairman appears to

have referred to certain undesirable in- quences associated with Protestant mis- sions in China, and urged members, af

the Association to proselytize, todo something towards combating mutaal mi understanding and the spread of racial hostility by meeting on the common ground of reason.''

The Secretary uttered a uote.al-warn ing. The evolutionary history of our world," he said, affords us no reason

THE HONGHONG. DAHLT BRASS, THURSDAY, MARCH 26TH, 1925

KEGS OF WIRE NAILS.

EVANGELIZATION PROGRESS.

THE HONGKONG AND NEW TERRITORIES SOCIETY.

CLAIM FOR $7,900 "FAILS. Whether an importer, is responsible for goods. he" is to land' over to a dester, was

A meeting of the Hongkong and. New the question raised in the Supreme Court Territories Evangeliastion Society was before the Chie! Justice (Sir Henry hold at the Union Hall, Kennedy Road, (Gollan) yesterday, when a firm which had yesterday evening, the president of the refused to take over a shipment of wire Society, the Rev. J. Kirk Maconachie nails was sued by the importers for the presiding. difference in the contract price and the Mr. P. D. Wilson, the Secretary, read. price the nails brought when sold by the minutes of the last meeting which

etion.

were adopted.

Mr. F. C. Jeskin (instructed by Messrs. The Chairman, in moving the adoption Hastings. Dennys and Bowley) appeared of the report on the year's work, said

CANTON NEWS.

[FROM OUR CHINESE CORRISPONDENT-] TAXING CHARITABLE

INSTITUTIONE.

Charitable associations until

to believe in an inherent law of progress. tion consisted of 1850 keys of wire with Mr. H. J. Lamb, the treasurer (who lected last year for road improvement

'something not ourselves, which makes for

righteousness or Rationalism,"

Another speaker asked the question: "In what do Rationalists believe" Ho. ausweco "In hummá reason and res hable fact

By way of amplication

for granted anything that does not stand the test of reason. Reason is his only judge between the true and the Lise, hi- oaly arbiter between the sane and the absurd."

The protest of the many charitable in- atitatiana in Canton against the sub- mission of their property deeds to the Kuomintang Land Inquisition Bureau for revaluation on payment of the r sular fee of 6 per cent, on the value of the property will not be considered, and the Land Inquisition Commissioner has asked for the help of the Civil Governor (instructed by Messrs. Wilkinson and edly had been satisfactory. for plaintiffs, and Mr. Eldon Potter, R.C. that the work during the year undoubt in forcing the institutions to pay this Grist) appeared For the defendants.comed many wer hers from the Church the adsent of the Kuomintang régime

He wel-war tax.

Pidintiffs were the China Agency and at Kowloon and expressed thanks for wees not taxed in' Canton, Trading Co.. nad defendants the Sun their work; and the collections they had $15,000 LOST BY BANK FAILURE. Cheong Yat Co.

given to the Church funds. He also wel The General Chamber of Commerce of| Mr. Jenkin said that the goods in quescorned Dr. W. T. Pearce, O.B.E, who Canton, as trustee for some $13,000 'col-

was unavoidably absent), had done much purposes for a section of Canton, bas work in the compilation of the report and to pay the money over to the "Municipal been ordered by the municipal authorities balance sheet. Referring to the balance Department of Public Works at once, a surveyer appointed by the Hongkong sheet, the President said that the Chinese The Chamber, it is stated, had deposited Chamber of Commerce, who found that subscriptions were

Ettle more than this adiount with the Chinese Merchants failed. The decision of the Municipality Back of Hongkong which subsequently | is that the Chamber must make good this

THE TAX ON FIREWOOD. Firewood dealers at Wuchow have The report dealt with the work done Anally given up opposing the extra war at the several stations in the New Terri-the wood cutters inland, ignorant of the taxation on the export of firewood, as

tories during the year. The stations conditions, have been loading the article were:--Cheung Chan, Tsuen Wan, Castle down to their agents, making further Peak, Yuen Long, ban Tie, Lo U. Tai two months of dull trade in this line, protest against the tax impossible. After Po, Lam Tsure, Tai O and Shi Lo Was. Brewood business there is again active, Details showed that crangelization was according to a Wuchow report. Both making rapid progress in these localities arewood from Kwangsi.

Canton and Hongkong consume much

nails, the contract price for which was $10.7, and the amount of the claim 87.1 The gands were surveyed by

on the surface-layers of some of the kegs, those of last year. He thanked the col the anils were affected by rust. Mlectors for the work done, particularly

MGNS OF PROGRESS.

he added: A Rationalist cannot tak? Jeskia spoke of the testimony of two that which Mr. "A. A Mackenzie bad amount..

Chinese dealers in nails, who bought done in this.direction. some of the kegs at the auction. Ther would say that owing to the glut in the Hongkong nai! matkes the price of spot vargo of the highest quality was round about $7. These merchants bought kegs at 16:9 and wisp each, and yes in the ensuing months they sold all the nails they had bought, and sold them at a pront

Lest he misunderstood, let me ex- "plain that I am genuinely interested in Latonalism-for the present to the ex teat of trying to discover what the modern phase of it stands for and what it hopes to accomplish

I have read any R.P.A. books and anabala, Suraking broadly, they gave the the ingression that the work of the Association is entirely destructive. appears to be a zealous process of pulling lown, without any attempt to rebuild. All religious beliefs and dogs are swept aside to clear the way for Ratiou alismu. But what is Rationalism Where does it pretend to lead us to? Is arose ia Greek philosophy as the result of the discovers that perception is neurait by illusion. The Greeks opposed reason and rational thuight to perception, and this antithes reached its culmination in Plato's theory of knowledge as memory, Empiricism still regards experience as the basis of knowledge, and Rationalisar still- has to explain clearly "Reason," a point on which our philosophers and psycho- logists are not agreed. The Neu-Realists, for instance, are against those who hold that reason is a quasi-divine function, It may be that reason is merely our power of conceptual inference. If it is of the mind, the Epiphenomenalists would tell us that “mind is only the by-play of cerebral processes. The only point that seems to emerge definitely from the controversy about Reason-and Rational- ism is that Reason does not impel va to do right or desire it.

JESMONS FROM CAPTIVITY,

"

The'

Mr. Potter submitted. that in law there was no case to answer. In support of this! Mr. Sz To Wal, an charge of a school

CUSTOMS BROKERS RESUMING. be woaki queste many authorities. His in Canton, who was only recently freed Kongmoon, which voluntarily suspended The eleven customs brokers' offices in friend Mr. Jenkia had said that the goods by bandits in whose captivity he was for functioning a fortnight ago as a protest were purchased and the buyer must take over four months, gave a graphic descrip against fines ranging from $1,300 to the risk of getting "ka inferior article tion of his inprisonment and said that 5.000 levied by the Canton authorities always provided that the article was still he had beneated from the experience in made false customs returns thereby evad

on the ground that these brokers had, saleable under the same denomination. that it had made him a batter man and ing the payment of proper duties. have His friend had tried to read into the con- gave him added inspiration to do evan-decided to resume business on an under- tract an implied soudition that bound the gelistic work. He made a strong appeal taking by the authorities to modify the action recently take. It may be re purchaser to take delivery of the articles, for a vigorous urusade in the New Terri-called that early this month two Canton provided that they were still saleable tories where, he said, the people were government agents visited the brokers under the same denomination.

very much addicted to the opium habit. heavily fined them for having made false offices, seized their books and afterwards Mr. Patter went on to quete authori. Concluding, he said he had had spent a returts of imports and exports. ties. Ris Lordship found in favour of year in England and he hoped some day brokers stopped work, causing no little: defendants with costs.

to see the New Territories as idealistic who do nearly all their work with the inconvenience to the Customs authorities and as fine as the home of Englishmen. brokers, and seldom come in actual touch

He seconded the adoption of the report with the importers and exporters.

The which was carried unanimously."

Customs authorities have taken part in

and Rev. Li Sty Kwai spoke in Chinese, tions

getting the decisions reviewed so na toj Messrs. Lo Sa Kwong, Yuen Yung Hopenable the brokers to resume their. fune

According to a report which reached D. Pearce acting as interpreter. Hongkong yesterday, a rail, which bas Dr. Hickling on behalf of the assembly surpassed in its extensiveness and pre-proposed a vote of thanks to the Rev. arrangement any raid of similar character d. Kirk Maconachie and Mrs. Maconachie, carried out of recent date, was per for their hospitality, 'ten having provided petrated on Tuesday night or early yes before the meeting began. The vote was terday morning by a large gang of armed carried unanimously, robbers or Landits on the Island of Tai O. If the story is correct, the community of this village were aroused at dawn by the April 7th. sound of fring, caused by a large band

BRIGANDS RAID ISLAND SENSATIONAL ATTACK ON TAI O.

A concert in aid of the Society's Funds will be given at the Union Church Hall on

י

The

RESTAURANTS "BOYCOTT FÍSH.

Ali restaurants and 良くする rooms in Canton City recently decided to stop using salt water or deep you fish, as a result of the failure of the waiters and cooks union amicably to settle their difference with the fresh fish market, guilds Pacroos of public'dising places turtle, and 13 other kinds of sen foods these days. when ordering frog, crub. find these things unobtainable, cause of the dispute, appears to be that a certain metaher of the cooks union. acting as a buyer for Restaurant was

fused further supplies, subsequent to the failure of the restaurant to meet its financial obligation's to its creditors, who finclude at least two members of the Fish Guild. The buyer appealed to his union for protection, on the ground that he was was not responsible for their debts. The merely a buyer for his employers and Fish Guild is protecting its members by affirming that whoever buys the goods Any buyer unable to guaranice payment should be beld responsible for payment. for the goods he orders is to be denied and ordering goods on crédit as is the

where about sixty strong, who arrived in of armed robbers, said to number som THE LATE DR. SUN YAT SEN. black listed by the Fist Guild and re

laugh."

The raiders had evidently systemaulic-

Rationalism, as I understand it vaguely would reduce religion to an illusion. Does it, pro tanto, regard human_person. ality as a physiological illusion? Heligion implices not merely a quest but some ally organised the coup beforehand, for. reality that impels the quest. If there is not a transcendent influence, & "Rome. thing outside ourselves," that then religious discipline seems no morr than a superior form of Couúism. And the facts of history and experience array themselves against this interpretation. Through all the ages the questions Whente? Whither? Why? have clanonr ed for an answer. Science cannot answer them. Religion attempts to, and does answer satisfactorily for thousands Can Jtationalism answer? The questions are

insistent.

NO WORD FROM MARSHAL

CHANG TSO LIN.

it is stated that they Brst cut the tele. It is remarked in a Peking news agency counts, phone wire's before, attempting to make report, dated the 19th lost, that up to their raid. Those who endeavoured to the time of the removal of Dr. Sun Yat make resistance against the surprise at Sea's remains to the Central Park neither tack, were soon overpowered, and some Marshal Chang Tao Lin nor any of the of the more daring were fired upon. Generala under him had taken notice of

Canton restaurants many he meatless na well as fishless, unless the Pork Trade

It is believed that the villagers casual-Dr. Sua's death. On the other hand, all the privilege of appearing on the market ties include at least one death and several the Kuomintang Generals bad telegraph-usual practice. The Guild contends that if Wounded. A number of people are also hostages hy the brigands, whose loot, in shal Feng Yu Hsiang contributed $10,000 ponsibility for the payment of the goods believed to have been carried of as their condolences to the family, Mara buyer is not made to share some res Again, it is not so easy as it appears, considerable value.

money and jewellery, is reported to be of to the funeral expenses an also did he orders, payment on delivery is the when one thinks about it, to eliminate The news was brought to Hongkong by General Tang Chi Yao of Yunnan, while wholly desired by the fish honge nor the only alternative a condition neither all ideas from one's mind of

an inher.

a police launch, which called at Tai O in Generals Yea Hai Soan and Hu Ching i restaurants. ent law of progress, something not the course of a patrol. The village raided of Shansi and Honan respectively made selves,"

There are two books, as Siris said to be fo a valley some distance Thomas Browne of old said, from which from the police station

a gift of $2,000 cach to Mix Sun. men collect their divinity-the Bible and Senior police olicers went by motor to

Objections are also stated to have been Guild and the Municipal Department of the public manuscript of Nature that lies Castle Peak, yesterday afternoon, intend. raised in the party to the acceptance of Public Health will agree, on a standard I see intelligibility, order, continuity. I institute a search for the raiders.

posed to the eyes of all Everywhere ing to join a police launch in waiting and State funeral, on the ground that the fine for watering meat, that is blowing see things that reason cannot "explain,

Provisional Government has no legal water into the meat in order to make it It is alleged that things I cannot understand: but I would

fanadation, and consequently it would weigh a little more. be foolish to deny them for they are

be an insult to the memory of the late the officials have abused their power in Kuomintang Chief who should be buried exacting fines from butchers charged with there, they are facts. May it not be that

as a Commoner human reason is too limited to grasp

rites of the Kuomintang"

In accordance with the this offense. some facts, or, having grasped them, that was killed, another seriously wounded and Is connection with the removal of Dr. our words are too small to express them a third woman kidnapped. The village

I try to keep an open mind. I have forsaken many things that I once ac cepted But there is a modicum (of essentials, I like to think) that I beré

to. All is not explainable by reason: jet in the clear light of reason I find it harder to accept much of what I read

OFFICIAL REPORT.

Inquiries by à Daily Press representa tive at Police Headquarters last night elicited the information that one woman

consists of 35 houses. The raiders are stated to have ausbered 50 men,

Sun Yat Sea's remains to the Central Park, in Peking, a Chinese news agency mentions that is the cortège was about

POLICE COURT ITEMS. Charged with the possession of a quan- to start, Mr. Sun Foh and Mrs. Sun Yat tity of tobacco and spirits on which daty Ben offered Christian prayers before the had not been paid, a Chiueen of Pottinger coffin as the late Kuomintang leader was Street was fined in all gos by Mr. 8. B. a Christian; but certain communist mem B. McElderry at the Central Magistracy [A calfe from Rotterdam states that el. The Executive Council of the Kuo-

hers of the Kunmintang seriously object- yesterday.

PHEW!

"

At the Central Magistracy, yester

a LLP.A. books thad to believe in. the the objectionable odours in Dutch canals mintang subsequently issued a statement romnants of my belief.

have been traced to the presence in the to the effect that the offering of Christian day before Mr. J. R. Wood, Ngam Sui water of a hitherto unkoon micro-prayers and rites was a purely personal Chik, an employee of the Société Fran- organism 'descrihed, as vibrio thermo-net of the Bun family, with which the caise de Gérance, was committed for desulfuritans."]

members of the party should not inter- trial at the April Criminal Sessions on fore,

scharge of stealing 26,650 in Straits Currency, Bail was allowed in $3,000,

I fear I have taken up a good deal of space! My exouse is that I really desire enlightenment. I would be grateful for plain, straightforward statement from a member of the R. P.A of what Ration- alism is and, especially, what it proposes to do. I am emboldened in my request y the sympathetic remark of the local Secretary, who said: "We must use our sweet reasonableness in our efforts to enfiat new members and convert passive into active free-thought." My free- thought is passive:-

ENQUIRER Hongkong, March 24th, 1923.

As news from Furope lets us know,

A microbe known as "vibrio"

Begets in Dutch canals the smells Of which the' ave-struck tourist tells, This "gorm" is whacked by Praya East, For there to say the very least-

"thermo-desulfuricans"

You're merely in the also rans" I

B. Ix458.

At the Marine Court yesterday before An order for the confiscation of w Lieat Comdr. G. F. Hole, RN, eight revolver W48 made by Mr. E. W. structing the entrance to the Yaumati yesterday. A Chinese detective said his boat-mistresses were fined $5 each for ob Hamilton at the Kowloon Magistracy Typhoon Shelter, Three junkmasters suspicions were aroused by the move- were also Bard $5 each for obstructing ments of four men at To Kwa Wan, the Bouthern Fairway and two bostmi Hunghom, at midnight on January 21st. tresses were fined $5 each for lying in- The men bolted and threw away the re

hore

volver."..

4

WATTS!

PATENT TROUSERS PRESSES

"

IN THESE DAYS, WHEN APPEARANCE COUNTS FOR SO MUCH, THE NEATNESS OF ONE'S DRESS is OF TOO MUCH CONSEQUENCE TO

BE DISREGARDED.

THE TROUSERS ARE AN IMPORTANT ITEM IN. TER MATTER OF DRESS.

NOTHING TENDS MORE TO MAKE A MAN LOOK SHABBY AND IEL-GROOMED. THAN TROUSERS THAT ARE BAGGY AT THE KNNES.

WATTS' PATENT TROUSERS PRESSES REMOVE ALL UNSIGHTLY BAGGINESS AND "PRESERVE THE CORRECT SHAPE OF THE TROUSERS.

"The Presto" $44.00 "The National”. . $34.00 "The Army

$30.00

*

LANE, CRAWFORD,

LTD.

The FASTEST LENS of the

WORLD

JUST ARRIVED

GOERZ TENAX with DOGMAR 13, 5 LENS.

TELEPHONE C. 9217.

HALL, LAW & CO., LTD.

30-32, Das Vaux Road O

MUSIC

FROM THE GONDOLIERS

THERE LIVED

4

KING

TAKE A PAIR OF SPARKLING

MYES

CASILDA GAVOTTE

ANDERSON'S.

-Powell

THIS SEASON'S-

Telephone C. 8148,

RAINCOATS

Ars now showing in many UP-TO-DATE styles. Our range melades anch choice of materials and Mises that every taste and figure can be suited

OUR

RAINGUARD MACKINTOSH

at $21.50

is extremely light, (19 ounces) wonderfully strong and will withstand the kerneet test (Other qualifiew $16.50 and $15.00, with or without belt).

UMBRELLAS

GOLOSHES

"KELTIC & "BECTIVE” WATKEPROOF

BOOTS and SHOES

ACETS POR

BURBERRY AND NICHOLSON'S

OELEBRATED-RAINOJATS. Those and it stock in all qualition from

Alsa GABERDINES

$50,00 442,50