TOPSY-TURVY CHINA

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 112, 2 May 1908, Page 3

TOPSY-TURVY CHINA

China is a land of paradox. It is an absolute, despotic momm-Uy; .t .> also a very democratic country, with it* .elf-nmde men., its powortul public op; ion, and a State lights question ot H> ° W Tl'is one of the ni'ost corrupt of nalions. U„ the other hand, the standard nf personal and oommercia hon,stv u pi-obably higher in China than ... unv other countrv of tlio world. Woman ill China is made to serve: ho,r status Uso low that it would be •« diHc'oiivtcsv even to ask a man it be lw a daughter; yet. the ablest, ruler Uima hns even bad in many centuries is a bind where the women wear socks mill trousers', and the men wear stockiu's and robes; where a -mat. shakes his own band, not yours; where white, not Mark, is n -ip l ~f mourning::where the compass points south, not north: where books are read backward: where names and titles are put in reverse order, us iu .our dietionaiies; ivliere fractions are written upside dow'n/„s S-"). not where a bride wails bittortv at her wdding. and a man laughs when, he tells you of his mother's death.