The most typical of Chinese thinkers_was Confucius, and the most typical of English thinkers was Dr. Johnson. Both were philosophers of common sense, and had they met, would have understood each other perfectly. Both could not suffer fools gladly; both showed penetrating wisdom and a firm judgment; both worked on a patchwork of ideas, and both had an utter contempt for mere consistency.
There was nothing striking about Confucius except his love of the commonplace, and nothing extraordinary about him except his platitudes. The only thing divine about him was his great humanity. Tt took 'a Chinese people to worship him, Jas "it took an English people to worship Ramsay MacDonald, whose political life was a supreme effort to be inconsistent in the English manner, which was the grand manner. He had no more scruples about committing his labourite principles to the winds than Confucius would have. For Confucius would have approved of MacDonald. as he would have approved of Dr. Johnson.
What Europe needed to-day, and what the modern world needed, was not more intellectual brilliance, but more life wisdom. One fel: somehow that European life was more secure and the course of Europe's hhistorleal development was more steady for England's presence. China would do well to learn a little man-mess from England, and England would do well to learn more moderation and mellow understanding of and the art of living from the Chinese.
"The true test of a civilization," he concluded, "is not how you are able \to conquer and to kill, but how you could get the greatest kick out of fe, and for these humble arts of peace, like feeding birds and raising orchids and cooking mushrooms and being happy in simple surroundings, the west has still a lot to learn from China. Some one has said that the Weal life is to ive In an English country house, engage a Chinese cook, marry a' Japanese wife, and take'a French mistress. It we could all do that, we would have moved on in the arts of peace and could then afford to forget the arts of war. We would then know how to live and forget how to kill. You Christians may object to this scheme, but I believe such ce-operation inthe art of living will mark a new era of international understanding and goodwill and make the modern world safer to live in. It is a better programme than what Mussolini is preparing for us. It is more convincing."
Hearty applause greeted the conclusion of Mr. Lin's address, and Mr. Arnhold, in a few brief words, thanked him for his extremely interesting talk.
Among those present were-—
Mrs. Lin Vu-tang, Mr. E. 8. Cunntigham, Mr. P. TT. Chen (representing Dr. 1H. H. Kung), Mr. and Mrs. E. A. Long. Mr. and Mra. R. C. W. Behrend, Mr. Int.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.