November 18, 1905.1
the people at large can stand, or deserve to stand. This doctrine is the useful legacy that Ciu Kwanyi left to his country, and should it be now reduced to practice be will have doubly earned its gratitude for having had the strength of will necessary to put it in practice, even against a misled sovereign.
JAPANESE COMMERCIAL.
HONESTY.
(Daily Press, 15th November.) Surely a suitable definition of "
super, fluities" would be " publications comic and humorous." Real life itself is 20 intensely amusing to the person gifted with: a sense of proportion, or a sense of humour, that artificial stimuli of hilarity appear as the veriest impertinenres. As a sample of actual history calling for homeric laughter (which will surely be forthcoming from the office of our contemporary, the Japan Chronicle) we submit a recent utterance of the London Times. The predicate, so to speak, being Japanese commercial honesty, a subject coming well within the purview of a commercial community, we need offer no excuse for raking up a little ancient history.
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. would have to continue with payments for eleven more volumes before the work could be brought up to date." This drawback to the Times edition had already been pointed out in England; and was not denied. It was not a bona fide new edition, or not up- to-date. The business agent in Japan made no reply to the Chronicle, so far as we remember; but a Tokyo employee of the Times (not connected with its business department) characterised (in another paper) the Chronicle's criticism as un. scrupulous and lying." That is a little way the foreign newspapers have in Japan. But so far as facts go, the criticism stands unrefuted. It is certain that the Times pushed the sale of this work in Japan hy means of a negative misrepresentation, by suppressio veri, ergo, by means not strictly honest. That is why we cannot bail with complete satisfaction the Times' vindication of Japanese commercial honesty. Praise from some quarters may be more damaging than helpful.
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BOYCOTT CONFERENCE AT CANTON.
<.
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haps get worse.' This is typical, and it does not necessarily represent a craven fear of change. The Chiuaman realises that certain things are inevitable. No doubt he has even learned that there are spots on the American constitutional sun; and that in the republic that started with such high- falutin ideals of human equality and "inalienable rights there are to be observed similar social evils to those that mar monarchical and other systems. Mr. ARCHIBALD COLQUHOUN puts it very happily when he says: "The Chinese, even when educated and enlightened, is seldom a reformer. He can adjust himself per fectly to the flaws and inequalities of his own system, and his observation teaches bim that no form of government is perfect. He usually thinks that he is better off with his own imperfections than with borrowed ones, for with characteristic philosophy he regards all life as making the best of an indifferent bargain, and he has little belief in ideals or in possible perfection." The Chinese who protested at the Canton con- ference against the intrusion of these ideals were practical business men. So Americans are supposed to be, but in this historical inst ince we seem to have happened upon a sort of anachronism: a case of the virile West being caught napping by the indolent East. Forms of Governinent have changed more in the Occident thau in the Orient, yet what radical difference is there between the man whose inalienable rights" are forcibly restricted by the feudal lord or the tiotai, and he who is cheated of them by the moneyed "grafter"?
(Daily Press, 16th November.) Much as we deprecate the boycott, and Bishop AWDREY, of Tokyo, confirmed in a gladly as we will hail its cessation, we can- letter some time ago the common saying not regard the proceedings at the joint that the Japanese are not famous for com- conference at Canton without some feeling mercial honesty. It has always seemel to of amusement. Our American friends us a case of "give a dog a bad name and appear to have a very erroneous idea of the haug him," for while examples of business intelligence of the Chinese; and their dishonesty were frequent and painful and attempt to draw a red herring across the free," the grumbles and protests of the trail (by suggesting that the Chinese foreign traders in Japan failed to take into ought to clamour for a Constitution like account the provocations to these breaches America's) was not marked by the shrewd of contract and other "slimnesses
of theirness we expect in wen from the United native clients. If there be a recording States. We think we can see as clearly as angel who takes cognisance of all business did the framers of the procedure, the con-
deals
of a “shady sort, then we take nection between "the inalienable rights it that there is a celestial ledger containing of man" and the boycott; but we do not a good many pages devoted to the business agree with them that such premisses were accounts of old-time importers and ex- either desirable or necessary. We porters. The kettle is black, we must sympathise strongly with the Chinese view admit; but the pot was not always that it would have meant waste of time to unsmirched. This knowledge of the beam discuss such abstract themes at a meeting in our own eye (speaking for the foreign called to consider the ways and means of critics of Japan) prompts us to welcome ending a boycott. The fact that such a any kindly extenuation or defence of the discussion tended to put the heads of the morals of our allies. Yet not always. We Chinese in peril was enough to warrant feel we must draw the line somewhere. The their being left out; and quite apart from manager of the publication department of that unpleasant possibility, the Chinamen the Times noticed Dr. AWDREY'S who echoed WELLER'S Cut the cackle charitable remark, and hastened to offer and come to the bosses" have earned our evidence in discourt thereof. He quotes respect. The Americans present-or some the experience of those responsible for the of them-appeared to think that it was a sale of the Encyclopædia Britannica" in matter of interpretation, and that the Japau. Ninety-five per cent, of the sales Chinese had failed to realise the logical were to Japanese, the monthly payment path from the general to the particular. being ten yen. In Great Britain less than This was an error. We are convinced that half the payments arrived on the day they saw the point; saw perhaps more promised; in Japan less than one per cent. than the Americans saw. For the Chinese, of the payments were even one day late, even the illiterate, are not unfamiliar with and more than half the payments were such questions as: "What are Govern- made the day before they were due, because ments established for?" They do not need as it is explained, "the Japanese did not to discuss them afresh. They have the like to run the risk of any accidental delay answers, and they are conscious, intuitively that might make them even one day late." it may be, that all Governments come short It is apropos this touching reference that of the glory of the ideal. It is one of the we feel bound to rake up a little history. easiest things in the world to get a think- When that wonderful work (apparentlying Chinaman to admit that the Govern hanging fire in England) was carted out ment is bad. He has experienced contact to Japan, it met with a good deal of with many
points of its badness .' criticis the foreign papers. Oue jour. So much admitted, the impatient nal, the Japan Chronicle, refused to accept, American teacher (let 119 say) ex- an advertisement from the agent,
Well then. Why don't you the ground that he was not justified ¦ stand up and have it altered? The in inserting an advertisement in the news Chinaman contemplates him pityingly, as papers in Japan concerning the Times we regard the young hopeful who has just reprint of the Encyclopaedia without mak- discovered that the world is out of joint, ing it clear that any one who rendered and is all agog to put it right. "Maskee," himself liable to payments for the twenty- he
What for?" (in the sense of says, five volumes under the instalment system cui bono?); "Suppose makee change, per-
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claims : On
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The word "civilisation" is a shibboleth in the mouth of man (Chinese as much as foreigner) but the laws of nature mock at human ordinances. The weakest still go to the wall, even in the best regulated Governments; and all of us, free-born Briton, independent American, or official- ridden Chinaman, are alike in the shackles, The American is still so proud of the way in which he got rid of his old fetters, that he does not seem to notice the new pattern he perforce adopted. The Chinatnan simply wriggles himself into a more comfortable position under the yoke. The American is like the schoolboy who plays truant to evade a thrashing: he has, as he would say in his own idiom, "still got it coming to bim." The Chinese metaphoric schoolboy. sensibly facing the inevitable, slips a copy- book inside his garb where it will afford most protection, and takes his punishment with comparative equanimity. Little wonder that at Canton he was impatient at the attempt to put him on a level with the grandparent who had a gratuitous course of instruction in the art of sucking eggs. It may also be urged that, in any case, as they cannot possibly pledge their Govern- ment to anything definite, this conference cannot have a practical result. We do not, however, go so far as that. It will be fully justified if it succeeds in dissipating some of the many misunderstandings that characterise the agitation; aud it is in this connection that the mistake of dragging in the inalienable rights of man is most apparent.
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LEKIN AGAIN.
(Daily Press 17th November). Two or three years ago, the Chinese Gov- ernment undertook that all barriers of whats ever kind, collecting lekin or such like dues or duties, should be permanently abolished on all roads, railways and water- ways in the eighteen provinces of China and the three eastern provinces. Exception was made in the case of native Custom
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