AWAKENING OF CHINA.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 587, 16 August 1909, Page 4

AWAKENING OF CHINA.

' y;■.-;■.; .SIGNS IN WELLINGTON. /w^h^'-V' , ——'■■■'■'■ ''"■'■■■.'■ ■• \ V ;;■' THE ,NEW CLTJBJEIQUSE.;; . ,■/ V A two-story, house of eight/or ten rooms, with'.almost nothing to distinguish it externally from, thoso ivhich flank it on tbo north .side of Ginizriee Street) is the' habitation of tho newly-forinea Chincso ■: Club,. Tho reporter who'icalled thero'•■on Saturday afternoon' was not- suro' thnt ho ' hail, found, tho, place. until he' saw affixed to" the woodwork beside'the;door a 'sniall. whito 'jiard, bearing tho printed words: "Chinoso v 'Association of ■Wellington."'.■•Then';.lic;'pu9hed tho electric' !button, 'A' well-dressed,, pleasantly-smiling Chinaman promptly _ opened :the: ;dqo.r.' . This was Mr. (Jan 1 Charm, the:secretary; and, 'after .'a brief he- led the way ,to thereadih'g-ropm.. ■ -.. i. 1 , -... : ". ..-.

Chinese Newspapers. J ;' • A large table was Hhe-'chief "article bt r- and; upon' this.,-ivwo placed, with ,'yperfect rectiiigular 'neatness','"a' large num:.ber?of newspapers .in Chinese,.and...one in v English--The ;Dominion. live Chinese papers "came from 'presses .in Sydney! -Melbourne, v:&nd, San, Francisco,. as v well■■.-'• as■■ Shanghai, i Hong Kong, and 'other places in China. One,' -... which was of pamphlet':sizo, was,' so'! Mr. • Gan'Qharm:was understood to say,; tho JDcal "paperof his' in Ch'ina. ' • ■■''.•'.' .->,-■. "Once a week ?" asked the' pressman. :v- "No'; ten days. /Three a : morith." ...... ....'■ ;';.'■ By and ,by',, it was. 1 gathered, .the Chinese .'hope to publish/a paper of their' own 'in "Wellington. : .: There were al^p' some" missioa-' ary periodicals on the' table, ' and a" publica-" .: :tion which resembled, in its siie. shape, and ~;paper,iand 'the ! :excellence of its • half-tone ' illustrations,' the Christmas nnmbers of the : , Itfew -Zeafand weeldies. Tho "pictuFes: wero not' .of Chinese but of fino buildings, (mahy_ of them .'colleges) in 'the different' •'c6nntries : of .Europe. , Maps of the same ; ; countries. Were'interspersed, and anyono who read the Chinese letterpress would' prtf-" bably hive found in it a furiher evidence of -'the awakening M. the , . E£ii.X*.,y; : '>l; .- ''vi: -..', :\

,;?;/.';;' A'Decorative Language. -■-V ;: - ;^: ;.v'' "-' ,',- :'•'■;«.•' v .' Half-tone 6ngrariiiga look somehow opt of ■£ ,';': the^mi'dstof Chiiiesie prmt,but tho ; ;;.;; ■ ;--.;iho6ngniity t is,m{«rs' striking .whenono notices, .'>'::.,;: ■*tt-'\ihe.\advwtseinent'-. pages-:.0f.-the , -" , Chinese V';■;V :•"■newap.apere,-ihe.'Samo'notalways artistic pic-' :; •-., '■};■ .;.turesj,that;embellish -the advertisements jn ; ' ■ ..;;'English. journals; '■ Chinese '-TOting,or, print-' ;j..(*-^«' ; ;->,teg JYwHateveri.ite;'drawbacks"ifhjni;the"'.Titili- ,.;>.'■ ''tanan atrikes 'one'as much pret-,;'\-V':;'•>;-■■ tier ithan- ordinary English/..;A' band,, of it) ; i; ; " 'done' on' pink; paper/'and stretching r aeroßs ■!'V,.;i'-;"/|:one,i<rfvtho:-Ibngest'-waIl8 i /of'-the'rpomiihas '?■■:;■■- i ./decorativeyjffect:.'■;■"Mr;',Gan Charm !,':,■:: : j; J; :all.,thpse,. wHo.haTe subscribed .to. the funds : \'l ;S'?!-Vpf"' the, ■association. ; JEte. adds -that £700 has £.-i;; ; -j;:;teem V: collected.;- "Excepting •. ;the Chinese :/':::; 'j- ? P a Per?, inscriptions,' and ono wall'p'icture in ■?' ;!:' -^ ! . tn s transparent .Oriental; colouring,; there- is ■ nothing. to ;mark: the. reading-room as .differ'-, :.:-; i.-,:; esfe from other reading-rooms in -'.■;.'' V ..;- ..•:. -.;.. •■ .-."v - -7*•':•; towards''/■the 1 ' front the >S : ,sv-^y r^'»'*Mratt^ -i>; ■ .'carpeted _ and furnished with satin- , - ,',;.. upholstered ~; chairs* 'and' couches—all quite .".•^"•:;-i'' ; -':E«ropcan:';-'.-----'- , '>-v ■■ , >'"'J" '■' - : ■ ':' -.'■■'. - : .■. .'■ hi-English, "J-- /.''■" ; .; : -: /■■. ■ /"Dpataira. :, are :j : large . .classroom, .■spall;,';.'smoking...' room, a .-writing :■''?•--,:; Toom,{-'and.-'. ..secretary's '' office: ;.',.,; '-: '.'A .blackboard' ir?:_the"classro6m /is. covered '■(:■ . „-,■ withiOhinesewritmg, and-inkpots-.and pens ::;.!VAare arranged on.the table with Chinese pre-;:;:,;;;-.v'-NC!sipn/.::-Twehty-fivo';or.:#irty:'young! ..men- .:'■;' Ccdme- there.'twice '■&. .week to 'learn JEnglish r.^.-■/,;••:and,othor things, Says.MrV'Gah'Charm. Mr. : ; ■ „ :'■.'■: Hwang, the. .Chinese Conenl,; is the principal '& '.■''■• teacher'at present,! 'biit.his private' secretary ;' L . ■;" ■'..;{?,;"' L *{s. 'other ;;;Ghinese; : residente'.assist; ;a'nd'' a ■-'.V-. , ' .;.;-.. ;ChittesG._.Ohrisfcian- missionary gives .-religious ":•.;/.■;'S tiaching.- ...Tli'e^club-hdus^lmay.' ; J ..,iVi' ; '-";.•■ any -of..the -Chinese.and'-at,''any lioii'i:.of;the : ■' ■; :i-*p f oay.,^The : :]arge^ ; niimb^:(the :J oicef6he' as- :'■;',' *4>?Tserts)- ; cpp%'on' Mondays ■andj^ednssdayß. -•;.;!'r.'.-. , '- ,, .'-'And:Snijdays ?'.'■ "'\- : v^ : ■-■;.;■ i'.;;'''. o.>-~': : ■■ir'^C-^'..^'- , .?^'?'■'.*'■ very,'-small' beginning j ":-said;tho ; i: ! l -:.>^ : .;,!Cpnsul, tp,whom.-.thepressmani.was;iifdebtedi ;!-,■',,.''"-;:' :foX p an' > ~. ■; jj "are going", to. start a small .'library, of ; .Caiineso' : ; ; .-.^:"..books onrmodern qiiestions; . The'-iopnis are .•-:' : -V open to"alljChinese, 'and'-it- place whero .-: .;,-:■ they.can:h6ld.:mcdtings. '. Wβ have a'commit-' ■/.■'-:■ tee.to manage.it; ,: l.simply act as'leader for ■'; .-• v •'■'■■'■ the present;, but'by arid-uy r'shall-ask-'Ebine- ..■;•■..'■;■ ■ i.. ;body else-to fake the position."'■- , '; -■' ' "'.'■