The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, DEC. 20, 1906.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1963, 20 December 1906, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, DEC. 20, 1906.

Theke is a significant meaning in the item of cable news which we publish to day from Pekin to the effect that “ one hundred and eighty thousand ‘ Chinese at Singapore resolved to ' discontinue public ancestor worship, * and to devote £20,000 thus saved to ‘education.” Pekin is a long way from Singapore, and if the news applied to Chinese at Pekin there would be reasonable grounds for disregarding it, because it would need a tremendous reversion of public feeling in the Chinese capital to cause such a large number of its inhabitants to renounce the religion of their forefathers and launch out at their own cost to educate themselves on other lines, At Singapore the matter is different, because the hordes of Chinese resident there have travelled away from home and have observed the advantages of education and Western civilisation, and although their eves and hearts are always turned towards the land of the rising sun, and their I deepest sentiments aro wrapped round the associations of home and childhood, they, nevertheless, have had opportunities of seeiDg what the Western civilisation means to them and to their country if they would only embrace the opportunities which that affords. Confucianism is with the Chinese a deep-rooted feeling, and in their own country it would take a tremendous force to shake it; but the events of the past few year 3 have conspired to convince even the natives of Pekin, and all other Chinese cities for that matter, that China must not remain stationary while Kussia, Japan, France, America, Germany, and Britain are endeavoring to chip slices off her territory, which is already too small for her four hundred millions of population, or to secure her trade. Ten years ago China had no desire to accede the “ open door ” in matters of trade with foreign nations if she could prevent it, and six years ago, when the foreign Legations interned in her capital city were*

forcing tho domnndfl of tho Powers upon hor attention, tiro attompt was made to show to tho outside world that sho would have none of tboir intrusion ; and tho foreign emissaries for a time stood in imminent danger of being murdered; but tho prompt action of tho Powers, and Japan was one of thorn ovon then, soon taught them tho lesson that China was not fitted to resist, and tho Legations wore fortunately relieved. It was a decided sot-back, and one that stilled Chi nose aggressiveness for the nonce; but it also had tho effect of teaching them something, and that something was not that China was powerless but unprepared. That lesson has had its effects, and thoso who aro best ao quaintod with tho feelings and aspirations of her inhabitants aro awaro that ever sinco that time there have been demonstrations of a desire to make the nocessary preparations that would enable hor to adhere to hor ancient traditional mothoda of exclusiveness and rid her of the “ foreign devil ” for over. Tho “Boxer” movement was one that had this object in view, and under the astute guidance of tho wily Dowager Empress opposed the imbecile rule of tho iimporor who pussivoly tolerated foreign relations with tho object of maintaining tbe old state of seclusion. Tho movement was not successful because of the prevailing ignorance of tho magnitude and resources of the opposing nations , but

they have now learned something of that and they aro not dismayed , .Many thousands of them have migrated into other lands and returned to their native country with information ; their cousins of Japan have surprised the world, and shown them what education and organisation will do for a nation,£ and tho Chinky is not eo stupid as to neglect those lessons Hence we hear of endeavors to organise and drill the Chinaman in his own country with the ultimate object of reaching if ho can tho status of a leading nation as Japan has done; but when that desire displays itself so strongly as to induce the Chinaman, even though he be in a foreign land, to renounce the faith of his forefathers in order that he may preserve his country from disintegration, or it may be to force the “ opon door ” policy upon other nations, which is equally important and undesirable from a European point of view, it is high time to take more than a cursory glance at the situation. The Chinese nation is like an untamed horse which, if ho but know bis own power, would never submit to the control of his trainer; but the Chinese are now beginning to realise that power, and are making endeavors to utilise it. The thousands of them located at Singapore have rubbed noses, so to speak, with the nations of the earth, for upon that point converges an immense shipping trade from all quarters of the globe, and they see the necessity of educating their countrymen to the same extent in order that the congested population of that country may expand in unhealthy competition with the industries of the world. If the object succeeds, so much the worse for tho Britisher, the American, the Frenchman, and the Teuton, for once the hugo Mongolian industrial force becomes disseminated over the earth it will carry with it an amount of degradation and undesirable example into civilised life and leave its deterrent effects upon every race with which it mingles.