The presence of a celebrated Yale man in Shanghai, Mr. Wang Kai-kah '83, the Chinese Imperial Vice-Commissioner to the St. Louis Exposition, made it seem a fitting time to hold a Yale Alumni Association dinner. Dr. James Boyd Neal 77 of Chinanfu, the Doyen of Yale men in China, was also present, and altogether eleven Yale men and a guest were at the capacious board at the Yih Pin Shang restaurant on the evening of 12th February, 1904. These wore Mr. Wang Kai-kah '83, Dr. James Boyd Neal "77, Mr. S. T.'Laisun '80, Mr. Tong Kai-sen '84, Mr. Chu Pat-fay, °85, Mr. J. L. Davis 97, Mr. A. Mann, 99, Mr. A. J. Osgood '998, Mr. G. F. Coard '03, Mr. Y. C. Tong (guest), and Mr. ©. 8. Leavenworth The Chinese officers of the Association having been duly appointed by the Chinese Committee chosen for that purpose, the completed list of the officers of the Yale Alumni Association of China is as follows. President, Mr. Wang Kai-kah '8%. Vice-Presidents, Mr.
Laisun '80, Mr. J. L. Davis 97, Hon. Secretary, Mr. C. 8. Leavenworth, '97.
The Secretary reported that besides the 7 original charter members of the Association, he had written to7 Chinese and responses from the Chinese and 8 from the foreigners. Therefore the total membership of the Yale Alumni Association of China (including the;'7 charter members) now numbers 18.
It was moved by Dr. Neal 77 and seconded by Mr. Mann °99 that Directory of Yale Men in China" should be published with full information about dates of degrees taken, addresses, and length of residence in China, ete.
A letter from President Hadley of Yale University was then read in which he said: We are especially interested in the formation of the Yale Alumni Association of China. We are greatly delighted to think that the spirit of Yale good fellowship and Yale organisation should have gone so far around the world, and that Yale, like Britain, can claim to have an empire on which the sun never sets." This evoked three cheers for Hadley from those present, and the well-known call, " What's the matter with Hadley He's all right The healths of Mr. Wang Kai-kah, and of Dr. James Boyd Neal were then given, the personal appearance of the latter suggesting in 2 most remarkable way to those present the features of the honoured President of Yale University.
Mr. Wang Kai-kah, who, it is under. stood, has been mace a chartered member of the Yale Alumni Association of St. Louis, then responded in an interesting and noteworthy speech. It is believed that renders of the " North. China Daily News" will like to have an outline of this speech on account of the important considerations it suggests, Mr. Wang first mentioned the possibility of expansion which Yale had in China. Education is to-day the great need of this Empire. When the science of physics, for instance, udied by the Chinese, then the superstitions of the God of Lightning or the God of Thunder melt away. The record of the students who had studied in America is a fine one. Take their bravery in the French war and in the China-Japanese war as an example. Almost every former American student in the Chinese navy had died fighting bravely. This was proved by the fact that they had fallen shot _in front and not shot in the back. Li Hung-chang had remarked that if China had only had more returned students from America she could have done better. At the present time Yale students are holding positions of use and influence in the service of China.
Mr. Wang Kai-kah then referred to the pleasant visit which he had paid to Yale recently. He found that all the old buildings had gone except "South Middle" which was still standing. He spoke of the magnificence of the Yale gymnasium. He said that President Hadley remember. ed him well and remarked that his excuses for absences in the old days had been "explicit and cute" which Mr. Wang did not know whether to take as a compliment to him or as a memory of the past woes of a pedagogue:
Then turning to the broader phase of the relations between China and America Mr. Wang Kai-hah said that. the United States is looking toward the great future commerce of China. That was what the Panama Canal was to be dug for. China isa great natural market for America and American business methods can gain the commerce of this great Empire. The two countries have always been friends for there has never been a formal war between them. Even after the Boxer rising, American statesmen showed their The question of the payment of the indemnity in silver also showed the good will of the United States. These facts have made the best possible impression on China. But a great query comes before us. Will the second generation in China remember these good deeds? The young men of present China will be thos who will solve China's problems. As it is now, Americans always find a hearty welcome with this generation of Chinese. The moment "America" is mentioned the idea of the good moral influences under which the students sent to America had lived come to mind and these imimpressions will last through life, It is the pression received in youth which counts.
Mr. Wang Kai-kah said that in order that the second generation of Chinese might not forget America, he earnestly hoped that students would be given a fairer chance in going into America, but if America shuts out students by vexatious and arbitrary rulings in regard to the Chinese immigration laws then Chinese students will prefer other countries and the next generation will forget the stimulating influences of American life.
He had used this argument when in America in regard to the deterioration of the morals of Americans which, it is sometimes claimed, might result from the Chinese in America, There are say about 75,000 Chinese in the United Staes and if they can contaminate the morals of 80,000,000 Americans who boast of their high standard of morals, how about the handful of Americans out here in China What frightful wrecks they must become inthe midst of 400,000,000 Chinese. Bither Americans at home are very woak indeed or else Americans out here in China are made of stone.
In conclusion the speaker said that he would prefer to see one Yale in China to 100,000 armed men. There is sometimes fear expressed of a Yellow Peril. This might be true if some strong military Power should get. hold of China and uso Chinese soldiers to fight its battles but if you educate the Yellow Peril it will be no longer a peril. Then China can pro-tact herself, but she can also intelligently develop her natural resources and become, not a peril, but a blessing and source of happiness to the whole world.
After this speech, which showed the danger which threatens from the drastic legislation and interpretation of legislation by the United States in regard to the admission of Chinese students into the United States, it seemed incumbent on the Yale Alumni Association of China a body to do something to try and call the attention of people in the United States to this state of affairs. Mr. Mann proposed and Mr. Osgood seconded that resolutions be drawn up calling the attention of the President of the United States to the hardships suffered on account of the operation of the United States laws in regard to Chinese students. Copies of these resolutions were to be sent to President Roosevelt, to President Hadley of Yale, and to the "Yale Alumni Weekly" for publication in that Journal and to other newspapers in the United States. The chair then appointed a committee consisting of the officers of the Association, and of Dr. Neal and Mr. Mann to draft these resolutions.
Thus closed a notable dinner of the Yale Alumni Association of China. Yale songs were interspersed between the graver parts of the programme and the event terminated with the "'Bro-ko-ko-kex ce-ax ce-ax ® yell as usual.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.