Having studied politics most of my life may I give you a few of its lessons in a nutshell. The days of dynastic government are gone never *|to return, No dynasty will ever Meanwhile the art of printing had again maintain order in China. The opened the ancient wells of truth. only stable alternative to despotism. Their waters began to refresh is a government based on popular Europe. They ended the Middle assent, expressed in periodic elec-Ages and started the era of modern tions." No government is approachistory. In religion they hastened ing stability until it begins to pro-the Reformation. They yielded vide in some shape or form for the: knowledge of physical science which public criticism of its own policy, has changed our whole manner and its own accounts and to make life. They made possible those in-some cautious beginning of electoral stitutions under which Europe and methods, if only to start with in America are governed to-day, under local. bodies. I venture to prophesy' which Asia will be governed jo that the first sign that a govern-to come. Do you still think ment: has come to stay in China will dream when T say that China will) be when that government creates a solve her problems as she opens the body to criticize itself in public and submits a budget as a basis for wells of truth, or still wonder if handle this possible relic of Marco Polo with a feeling of awe? I was asked at the foreign Y.M.C.A. what I thought of the saying that "East is East and West is West and ne the twain shall meet." My answer is that this was first said by a blind man trying to lead the blind, who expressed the greatest of all untruths in the fewest possible words. Beware of those who say that one kind of truth applies in the West and another in the East, The light In the -wells of truth are the waters of life. That is more than a phrase. To draw from a well and drink its waters you must have commonplace things like buckets. To invigorate governments by facts and truths you must have commonplace things like budgets, like public assemblies, freedom of speech, freedom: of the. press, elections atid courts competent to administer justice not only between man and man Further reproduction prohi hibited without permission. but also between each man and the state itself, In Japan I was conscious of a foding of strength, and I want to tell you what gave me that feeling. [The papers were full of accounts of public trials of people charged with corruption, of filling their pockets from' public funds. 'They were bringing to justice' men charged with buying and selling decorations land honours. A race with the courage to do that have the strength of men who believe in themselves.
Faith in oneself is the root of all faith in the world, and faith is the root of all strength, T have ventured to state some principles which must I believe, be recognized if you mean to establish permanent system in China, But throwing all caution to the winds Tam going to add that in my delia erate judgment the Government, Nanking, which we—foreignerg have recognized as the government answerable for all China, will prove to be the best which this sorely, aifieted people have ever established for themselves in the long course of their history. Tam going to urge the people of my own race and speech here and wherever I meet them throughout the world to treat it-as such, Iam thinking not what that government is but what it can make of itself, Here as elsewhere a system which cannot improve ite Self will perish The government we have recognized in Nanking ig capable of becoming the government that China needs, and will T believe succeed in doing so.
'There are deeper reasons than this for my hopes. Iam one of those dreamers who really believe' that the ultimate goal of human deavour, which will be attained, isa world commonwealth. Such to me is the garment of God, to be wrought by His creatures out. of themselves. Years ago I construct~ fed a diagram to show the relative size of states for the frontispiece of a book called "The Commonwealth of Nations." It was in making that fciagram that I realized that the Chinese are one fourth of mankind, Their mere quantity was itenressive and important, In the Ins. months I have come to appreciate he quality in that mass: and quale people great or small ig more important than mere quantity, 1 seo in China a land torn by wars fand pillaged by bandits, Her people are dying of hunger by millions. sudden frost scatters the streets of hor towns with corpses. Her pease ants and traders are faced by ruin, she seems one vast political quiche sand. And yet, I feel, in this land {is a people with minds and bodies that can stand on an equal footings with any on earth. I leave these shores with a sense not merely of affection for its men, women and children, but also of respect. Every tone speaks of the natural resources of China, What impresses me are hex moral resources. I see in this peas ple the raw material out of which, they can weave for themselves. a better society than the world hay known. I find here a land which Ids something finer than hemp oF jute, cotton or flax, a fibre of men with the strength and texture of natural silk, They need only faith, faith in themselves. Can anyone dream, as T dream, of all nations Jinit in one rove for the Infinite Mind and not rejoice that such stuff fas China produces is in store for His loom?
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.