14th April.
To one who makes only a superficial study of the Imperial Decrees issued from time to time, it would seem that China is really in earnest in wishing to appropriate the many be-befits that are the necessary adjuncts of Western civilisation and culture. To such it might very readily appear that she had learned a lesson that she would not easily forget, and that it was deeply imprinted on the hearts and minds of her statesmen and ministers that there could not be any real progress and advancement for their country until a most thorough and radical change in her educational system had been brought about. But, unfortunately, to one who looks beneath the surface and who makes a thorough examination of the subject, the outlook does not appear very promising.
These who know anything of the Chinese mind and character need not to be reminded that a declaration of policy, which coming from a European or American would naturally be assumed to be of some worth and re'inbility, is something altogether different when it originates from a Chinese source. The language, it is true, is everything that the most astidions taste could desire—fanltless in expression in accordance with the requirements of the highest "wenli"—bnt that, too frequently, is all that can be said about it in a commendatory way. Che shadow is there but, alas, we shall look in vain for any substance behind it. The phrase so frequently heard in the mouths of the people, the equivalent of our word "unreality," expresses, as aptly and concisely as possible the character of the people among whom we live and move. C is the country of "make believe," the home par excellence of shams of the most pronounced type, and her elaborate forms etiquette and rules of politeness oryed, to some extent at least, by even the poorest and most unedueated classes, and not by any means to be condemned in toto, are but one indication of this trait of the national character.
When we give this fact its full weight, we begin to realize how much we should he led astray if we gave the same credence and attached the same value to official utterances in China that we should not hesitate to give to them in Western lands, And this holds good irrespective of what that any such risks could have been the subject under consideration may be. We see, therefore, that the resible for the defence iterated desire fora radical change in the educational system of China on the part of a number of Chinese, occupying high official positions, may not mean very much after all If they are sincere in their professed desire that Western learning should be encouraged to take root and flourish
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.