To the Ealitor of the "NownL-CHINA Daily New SmI received two days ago. copy of the notice on the Tale Mr. Leonard A. Lyall, which appeared your issue' of September 11h. As T had knows him for over, 20° years, T'hope you will not think, me un= reasonable if T say that T felt Feadling it that the sketch you gave of his career might be supplemented to make ita Tiltie more adequate fan "account of aman who only tendered valuable services to China, but hae also. done important work as trite representative of his even country.
First of all, T would make one correction, "At the time when he left China, Mr. Lyall had already com= pleted his translation of the "Chung Yang." and had moreover done a fair portion of his work on Mencius. It wax his being occupied with this Mterary venture that finally decided him not to offer himself for the post of the Inspector-General of the Chinese Maritime Customs, but to fievote his time in retirement to the Interpretation of Chinese thought. 'The result justified his sacrifice: this translation of Mencius will remain a Mterary achievement, thovih "The Sayings of Confucius" seems ihe more popular of his works, But he best piece o€ writing he did, is my opinion, the translation' of Yang Chi," printed inthe 1099 September issue of the "Tien Hsia Aonthly." This was his last published work. Before that, he had also written book on China, in which he gave a straightforward account of the China he had known, We did hot hide or whitewash our faults or Shorl-comings; he only gave also the Feasons and circumstances that had contributed 10 their existence. The render Is told not only the truth, but the whole truth of what the author knew about the country and its people. Tt is not an all-comprehen Nive book, but it is full of under standing. "AIT his writings were a labour of love. He wanted to do something in return for the country fo which he had come to work but which he had learned to love, Like Sir Robert Hart, Me, Lyall, in doing his share of work' in the Ubullding up of the Chinese Maritime Customs, always remembered that he was n servant of the Chinese Government and that China's Interest must come above foreign obligations. Though, in this, he was only carrying the tradition of his people, Wherever they are employed in the services of other nations, he was nevertheless serving his own country the best way that any motherland can ask of her loyal sons.
'AIL greatness has to pay the price of being feared and envied, Britain fsunnot have escaped this common lot In her case, however, the effects of stich fear and. Jealousy have been offset to a great extent by the con-duel of her representatives. OF these yepretentatives, T have in mind two particular groups. The first of these groups Is made up of the heads and officials of the big British firms These men have wide, direct contact with the Chinese people, and they their honest and fair deal-created a name andi prestige for the British nation as a whole that no fear of envy can ever shake. The Second group is a smaller one. Tt onsists of persons who either by the peculiar nature of their work or by ative endowment or by both, have been uble not only to inspire us with great nation, but also ive us insight into the nature me secret this greatness. OF this Tiyall was ashi ing example, He had the opportunity naive for_a foreigner, of reaching Nery extensive and inclusive number our people, and he won from all fan esteem and a Tave that extended beyond him to the country feom and all that country stands for. Tie gave as much as he took And he did it, not by imitate condescending, to ne, ways, Take some of our foreign guests were apt to make, Ni wlerstood our manners. and ways" better than Mr. Lyall. But his knowledge only made him realize all the more the fact that aman can only be at his best when he Ix being himself." In other words, to win the esteem of the Chinese, he aust be genuine English and Imitation Chinese, He treated Chinese friends, colleagues and. subordinates, not as he thought how the Chinese would tik rears ie sustitied in This faith is his owns words, which 1 quote letter he wrote in October 1938
Debs ¥ haws done some good in EDITOR. (continued)
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.