DIARY OF LI HUNG CHANG.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1645, 11 January 1913, Page 6

DIARY OF LI HUNG CHANG.

* • ARRIVAL IN AMERICA. INCIDENTS OF THE VOYAGE, "THE BELLE OF THE SHIP." '"interviewers interviewed, [That, on the journey to America, Li Hung Chang was troubled again with what he'had already, characterised, on crossing tho English Channel, as a "disordered stomaoh," due to tho "eating of German foods," and perhaps to tho "iiofbrau of Bismarck's," is evident hoin tho first entry in his diary after taking the Cunorder at Livorpool] :— Thß "Mad" Ocean, THIBDYDAT. ON OOHAN. I do. not think if over I went to Germany "again! .would oat either with the Kaiser, Prince Bismarck or any other great man, that is, unless, ho voir Id bo agreeable to ,iny taking my own foods in my own way. I'oi 1 find that my stomach has -not been so disordered in years. I do hot'romember that'l was ever bo sick before. Dr. Gray, tho ship's medical officer, says that I bare beon seasick. It is a ridiculous and most unscientific diagnosis ot my cose, and I did not .hesitate to tell him bo. Dr. Tong-le does' not agreo with Dr. - Gray, and his disagreement gives mo more faith than ever in Chinese medicine. The master of tho vessel has 'been very uttentivo to mo; more so, indeed, than I really-desired—for when one feels as I have felt in tho past thrco dajs ho wishes 1 most of all'to bo'let aldno. Tong-lb says he has: never known mo to cbe so irritable, and my good cook says W has been unable to plenso me. Poor fellow 1 ho staggered about the ship like a.man filled; with strong drink, and I know ho is not any happier than I am. But ho is not seasick, for he can deiuulish all kinds of foods, foreign and Chinese, without experiencing tho least ill-effects afterward. The sun is bright and warm to-day and I am beginning to enjoy the ocean air. We will bo hall tho distance to America by to-mght, the]' tell me. I am also told that this mad ocean is quieter on tho Amoncin tide. I ' Fifth day out. If tho people aboard this ship are a fair samplo of the great' mas 3 of Americans I am sure thoy are a wonderful nation. Tho men are ns polite as tho French and do not staro at one like tho . 'Londoners, I was not pleased with tho crowds of England's capital. They were rough in looks and in behaviour, and many low fellows did actually try to insult me. But tho polico were everywhere vigilant and superbly organised, and several times tho thugs were taught good lessons with clubs. '

The-Belle r ojfVthV;Shlp.' . :;,vvS .A ' V.lJthirik everyone;: on:;board this ship, Bioepting.:third-clasß..passengers:and some ,-if' the- orew, ! ';have been presented to mo intone way prjario'tb,er.; Fine: old men, .said.to':be,.ye'ry rich, are among'.tho,pasMrigers.' l 'vOne-of •'them,~-who owns many railroads; was introduced by,an American army C ;.poloriel, ■ arid ''later • he'brdught his ■wife and The latter is the'.belle of-.the ;ship, \and would dov for a Princess :afc.::Court:, r.I- told the interpreter to .tell her so,':arid she replied with all tho sweetness in the' world- that she would like to ".bo.if-I-.were'.king!.-.: :. ! ''■,;,'.'.' .;'"'. ;*l;(think':that -was'; tho ; : highest: praise' I oyer heard, J and,l ; shall send' Miss Marvin oridngh fine .silks for the-rest of her life. She me > beautiful, fan, which she said sho'had.purchased in Italy. It was bov'richy'arid expensive -that I did not warit'to.take/'itv'a'id so ; 'told. her. : But :6he:insisted.:and ,1 '.kissed■>her ! hand. ',;liJiave;:riererHib.efpre;kissed.va' strange lady's haridrrnotjoutside! of lour northern .capital—but;l-'saw.much, of iih . 'in.St. Petersburg ■ and; Moscow.V.l, think, now that the"Tsariria;eipected;me.to kiss'her hand, when 'she extended dt: : iminediatoly followirig tho '.'ceremonytion,but I. neglected, to ;db: it. through-my, ignorarice : nnd'/excitwrient.. % Instead, i placed in;,her.' hand .;tke, precious queen. ;|ado ;ring: ■njhich: the. Dowager had sent' as a present. ;'\ ■■>;'■. ■;;':i!'.' i 'Sj..'-;:.<■■-v: - ,■• " I;'shall;riover .forget the 'first"apparent embarrassment' of the';. Tsar:, arid,;, his - consort, ; ton be .'immediately followed by ,a most pleased:look: upon' the lovely face of the pale -Tsarina. ::/;In a examined the precious ring, and then gladly'extended,her hand once more, the' iirig-upon her": finger. T was excited somewhat, and took the hand in both of mine arid knelt upon the nig. I suppose there; ; is no man.with his eyes open who ■will .not learn something every day. Even Confucius said that a'thousand, years of, study was only; a preparation for the real knowledge one/should possess.to ; be able to /stand'/among: his', ancestors.' /

.7 .>: iA/ : :Cheistian : Holiday (Sunday). •■/■ Ms teeth, are 'troubling me to-day, that 33, those which are not ■ false.., When V get to ShanghaiV,again'; I shall have these last troubling ones,-removed. ; We shall -be in-New York r to-morrpw.. I feel thirtyyears younger than';Gladstones./-'..\'. -..i ■ \ ! At.Evehing,;.Horn OF.THE shbbp.'.' •■■',! will. go.to my bed early; for we Bhall be in Newark Harbour.'at daylight* 'I am 'worried about this American life 1 must lead -for two or three .weeks. ■■■'. ' I jhope .it: will -bo much" shorter.'■••■■.l. only want tff'eeo^Cleveland,and. the tomb of General Grants ■'.'(■.;,. . \ ..,/.'. ■■' Ht .was exactly a week, : :according to ithe-diary, .before Li'took up again tho narrahye.ofrh.is.trip writing, at the Hotel ..HeUevue/vPhiladelphia]:— ~-■•'. •. How" can T writeof all that, has hap'pened in tho six:days ; just .past?'•■'■■,lt ; seems as- if I have lived, a year 07 more ■■■since J- landed: in'; New: York from the Atlantic steamer.. X have been tired al- : most beyond words, but: the reception V I havo been accorded by this great American people has/filled me: with pride, and :I: know that in China it will .be thought' :,<.;://.'.-.,; ■''■-. ;/'-And.i3it 1 not strange-V/'For'years' my. ■peOplehav'e bce'nLbarre'd'-oitt of this rich country—not because. they were criminals or had:'leprosy,/ but -just.because they were born in China. If the same persons bad: been<born/in • Jap'&n- or, Korea or, India or' England' they: would ] laTO /been let pass/through'; the'-emigrant gates.And yet,-1 was born in China, and these Americana, high .and low, pay me the honour and attention ,due a-visiting mon■orch. ''I will tsbo: if this .V.cannot be changed somcwhat..r; .'..:,;,:.:.:. -:' ',-' •'•'■•"

' 'VMh the ,'i' ; S - '*■::'■'■':■ ■ '■■'• I havo met'' f that",'great,an<l übiquitous. :■•; .person known as. the American newspaper- ; man, and I havo enjoyed him. Also, I •"■!: guess, ho has enjoyed me, for I havo been ' \: told more funny things by'the reporters :, than I ever heard in all my lifo before. '■'■ 'They bto a jolly lot of fellows, and I . ;•; think; a reginient : of them .would rhako » the. biggest army laugh so- much that 'they either could not fight or would not' : want, to shoot such clever chaps. When we came sailing into Now York , Bay—before,'indeed, wo had really left "the mad ocean;.'behind us—-there were many water-craft' coming to meet us, smoko from their funnels and white .■■•"steam and' noise, from their whistles. VAhead of all tho rest were two or three. ', handsome'tugs, making for our ship as /'-. if.they would run us down. I thought , these must bo the official boatsj ! an<l. r ', went far..forward on the ship and looked ..ahead .to the oncoming vessels. There were.no ladies' on these first .boats; and I surely thought they must " bo .the corriera'of..tho .officials. But I ''-. Boon'learned my. mistake, for these were tho tugs of tho American Press. Our big ship slowed down—for the Press is all-powerful in' the United States—and a lot of men scrambled nboard. They wore clean, fine-looking fellows, liko young diplomats or secretaries in a foreign office. .■-■"'■ : •

1 The Land of Democracy. , At first I was v somewhat'nonplussed at their familiarity, for they noither bowed nor hung back, but came straight to onr nartv and began introducing themselves i-j'd Shaking hands. It was impossible to bo offended, although, as I havo said, I ■' was at a loss just what to do or say. But «oon I got used to the fino fellows, and took • them as far forward on the deck as ■,r? could go. ■•"'•'• i ■ ■■ . . _ When I had thorn there J said: ■ .'"iitiomen, I have como to see America, r«d not to bo the distributor of informa- ■; t'o'n. I want to learn things." Therefore; p'.caso tell my secretaries all about tho

points of interest as we go up the harbour." Awl they did it too. I asked about everything I saw, and before we had landed in New York I could tell many things concerning the city, especially what buildings loomed up into the sky, the various waters of tho bay, the islands and the forts, and a lot of such information as only ono who travels may .acquire. . ; From that morning to this I have not been—l was going to say an instant—an hour in my waking life without the company of my newspaper friends. At Washington, with the officials, on the trains, at all tho receptions and meetings, even waiting for mo at the hotels when I wanted to retire, and again looking for mo beforo I had partaken of the first morning meal—they are wonderful and tireless, and deserve to earn a great deal of money. ■■ ' I saw them hobnobbing with the President : and with Governors, just as,if these people were only respectable tax-gatherers. Still it all told mo that this country'was indeed the democracy of the world. That great lesson I learned from tho actions of; the American' newspaper men, and I bhW thorn for it. . ; ' The newspaper men of New York have given ine such treatment'that I shall never forget them. While thoy have not treatod.my visit in tho severe manner of the Germans,'nor-in tho half-patronising attitude-of the London and Liverpool journals, they have tried to get at the truth regarding China and the affairs of tho Far East. The editorial writers have poked a little fun at our party, but at tho same time the chief editors have'made my visit the occasion for long and een.siblo'editorials upon China and her people. 'For this 1 thank them—The "Observer'' (London).