To the Editor of the "Nowri-Caixa Datty News"
Sim—The demand of Mr, Lo that {the author of the book with the above title shall be deported from China is one of the most extraordinary demands that I can remember.
Mr. Gilbert ig an American observer and journalist: I am ac-Jquainted with him but have never; read his book, Iam an Englishman and thus of another nationality: eon-Requently my opinion must necessarily be entirely disassociated from personal bias in the author's favour, There are plenty of Americans who have adversely _eriticized Britain and yet I have never met narrow-minged a Briton as to Jdemand that any one of these per-Hons be deported from Britain: similarly there are Britons who have severely criticized things American and yet would never dream that for) [such a reason they should be deport-fed from America.
If Mr. Lo thinks there is nothing wrong with China, then he is not 'a patriot and can render no service! to his country. If Mr. Gilbert has Frown up some of the many things fof all right-minded Chinese and foreigners who have the interes! of this country at heart.
1, for one, would be glad if Mr. Lo would give us the benefit of a review of the book and tell us where the Author has gone astray. He|%,, cannot be mistaken in all the points where China is wrong: in the details rightly criticized the profer attitude to take up is to recognize the justice of the criticism and endeavour to remedy the same.
T fear Mr. Lo is super-sensiti and averse to any kind of criticism: which exposes the weakness China.
He will not make his. try' strong and pure by glossing' over the evils but only by dragging them out into the light and remedying them, It Mr. Gilbert has written facts, then he deserves the thanks of Chinese and particularly if in his lexpoture of the existing evils ko has shown some way by which they can be corrected.
able body of Chinese opinion then If Mr, Lo represents any consider-is digtinetly discouraging te all who wish China well.
Tam, ete, Epwano S. Lirtur Kuling, June 7, 1926, To the of the "Nonra-Cumxa Dairy News"
Sin,—Since Mi Edward 8. Little of showing him where the author has gone astray, it therefore behoves "me to give the review, although I do it with great dim. dence for fear of the insufficiency of English which will fail to make me understood, Mr. Little claims to know the author but says that he has never read the book. If had read the book or even a lew of the book, it is my opinion that most probably he would not. have defended the author as he did their Legations and "consuls, play Chinese "polities frum time to "time"
"Again, he says, emmanitics in China' which do. not "There! are very' few large foreign
fave their" parehaseuble foreign journalists, doing propaganda. work For one Chinese milianit or politician today, and "for another "tormorte apologists for oficial crimes "agoinet ther Chinese people, ele."
'Thanks to Mr. 'Gilbert for this piece of information which helps Us to understand why' internecine wars in China are so frequent and recurring.
'After' presenting these of Mr. Gilbert's attacks upon foreign residents in China, let us now come {to his condemnations of the Chinese which will expose his bias, easy disparagement, his' malice, and. his ignorance, Two lending American journals in the Far East have in their review. of. Mr, Gilbert book made the following ments, One, the "Chinese Recorder," says: "He (Mr. Gilbert) leaves the Chinese without a log to stand on, 'a peg on which tqbang a character fora inherent wight" 'The other, the "Weekly Review," say, "Literally, Mr. Gilbert doesn't leave China a leg to stand one He says Gat" Chinese pootey is "sentimental me rising nowhere to. anything Atay, that "Chinwne catonic Fevenling ats every' comm "a chil fatty and sponderonn
Epperance st "ft principle that Chinese" history is "rambling, "ie sts presented and oft Saeed upon traditional, prejudices, and aes or aero ree tinaly "hat Chinese iersture, minut ateigntfully"aificult-lengunee™ have they mystery She ly amily aod it'& sententious. nnd Taboured twee Mr, Gilbert admits in the preface of his book that he anticipates criticism such as this, namely, "You have condemned the' Chinese from birth to death, from prehistoric times to the immediate present, finding as much fault with their good nature as which their evil temper. Is this altogether fair? Can you tee no good in them? Can't' you mitigate your sentence jupon them, though it may be just, by giving' them credit for scme virtues and some achievements?" These are the exact words from the pen of the worthy author. Most obviously this, mode of sweeping condemnation of the Chinese people, except to excite public curiosity, is most unwise and unfair. I have always admired the old Anglo-Saxons for their fondness of fairplay, and fair-play, or "the Square Deal," to use Col. Roosevelt's extion, demands. that the other side of the story he heard, Mr. Gilbert takes the occasion to say that "The Chinese are the noisiest people on earth." In order to prove it, he says, "The roar of fortissimo conversation carried on by the 900,000 residents of Peking after sunset when work is done and every one settles down to gossip, can be heard three miles outside the walls of the capital," At another place he accuses the Chinese people as born liars. Here is the paragraph:
"There is probably no standard book on China within which the author has of recorded that the Chinese are, from start to finish, a thoroughly mendacious po They Mie with Hie nmocently "ax elitaren_ do because alice aforethought, and" they also
they "are. unthoral and their. imayena= Lone "get "the Letter of them. And ties" she, tle for mo apparent reoxon alle They hele "frankness and in these columns of this morning's Paper.
Ve Chinese, slammed, banged and maligned as we are in the book, nevertheless we ate not the only ones attacked. Foreign merchants, journalists, diplomats and miss ies in China are mostly a either as cranks, dupes or blind, for in Mr. Gilbert's opinion, at least that is what it appears to that all but himself have in some way misrepresented China, These are the charges:
"There are always a host China, "adventurers, advise Fortunes depend pom their crat ate themes sith the. Chinese government on with thie oF that me Escola ah tae: The fents conditions in China to "reap. his mimerciah "Agent in China' veanepree
jen The 'Msatonary' minrepree tents' conditions in China' to. tity of in Keagee wath, and so forth and s0 on. Charges are also brought against the Chinese government, for Mr. Gilbert writes, "Both the Imperial and the Republican government of China have in their relations with Foreign Powers published thousands of the most transparent lies in official and very solemn proclamations." After read. ing these statements, one is therefore driven to the conclusion that the expression of such ungrounded and unbelievable notions is either the indication of gross and unalloyed stupidity or else it is the most astounding piece of outrageous national libel.
As proof of the tendency of things going to the dogs in China, Mr. Gilbert calls our attention to the absence of an efficient Central Government. We admit this, but the condition gives no justification Mr. Gilbert to advocate that The Chinese are children.. they have no more right in their own interest or in humanity's larger interest, to govern themselves." Mr. Gilbert does not seem to know
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.