AWAKENING OF CHINA

Otago Witness, Issue 2894, 1 September 1909, Page 25

AWAKENING OF CHINA

LONDON, August 26. Prince Ito, in th« course of a speech at , Fakushima, doubted w hether China could ■ successfully adopt a Constitution, while her failure would imperil the peace of the Far East. Among the reasons for his doubts he gave the following: — Firstly, the enormous area of the empire and ite I defective communications ; secondly, the . immovable conservatism of the Chinese, , forbidding a change even in the system of taxation; thirdly, thatlhe Chinese were untrained in locail administration, which was an esential prelude to a national assembly. He was astonished at the silence of the Occidental publicist »> on this question, winch was to vital to the peace of the Orient. NEW ZEALAND CONSUL'S PLEA, i AUCKLAND. August 27. I The Chinese Consul, Mr Yung Liang I Hwang, who arrived from Wellington to-day, touched, in the course of an t interview, on the cabled message from ( Tokio. respecting Prince Ito's speech. I " I do not wonder that he has doubts ■ whether China could successfully adopt a constitution," he said, laughingly. . "He would endeavour to discourage us all he could, but we do not lay great stress on his utterances. He should remember that we have 10 years to prej pare and eight of them yet to run. What have we done ? Look at the rapidity with which we have built railways, and the manner in which our postal system has been extended. Regard the ' way in which we have been getting translations of all the most approved authorities on constitutional law, and the students and men of learning we have sent abroad to study modern methods and progress, and made inquiries on the constitutional question. We have hundreds of students studying in the different counj tries of Europe, and 10,000 in Japan. I I grant you that we have difficulties to en-

1 counter. We may have confusion as to i the system we shall eventually adopt, j but we are now following you step T>y : step and will gradually get to a sound j- basis after a few years of experience. ' And this desire for progress is not only on the part of the Government, but the people are , eager to obtain knowledge to fit them for the change, and look forward hopefully -to^when the day arrives for ite 'consummation. Immovable conservatism ! Such a term is altogether wrong to 'apply to CEina. We have changed our examination ..system of 3000 years to the modern system of education. Does that look iike irhmovable conservatism? I agree that we are untrained in local administration, but we have only just awak- ■» eneH. and we are anxious to learn Western methods'. I think myself that what has taken- Japan .40 years to adopt may be atiop'ted in China in 20 years." A decree issued in December last inaugurating the new reign proclaimed the Emperor's determination to complete the policy of his ancestors, reaffirmed the decree of August 27, 1908, announcing tho convocation of a Parliament and the proclamation of a. Constitution in the ninch . year from the date of that decree, Jtnd ordained thaE " Every one, from the Emperor downwards, must ol?ey this decree. Tho d«te of the eighth year of Hsuaif Tun sr "fixed for the convocation of Parliament i* unalterable. Let^ao vacillation ox indifference be 6bown, buC^let everyone quicken his energies so that the Constitution may beco'm© a- fact and tranquillity prevail .universally. Thereby the ipirite of their' late Majest.es shall be comforted, and good government be secured for countless ages." The decree, which was rejparded, as -ot,:the ' highest importance, was compared with the,Imperial proclamation of October, ' 188J, announcing the establishment of Constitutional Government in Japan, "and #aye widespread satisfaction. The first v«ar of Hsuan Tung began on January 22.