China 



475 



government. She has apparently read 

 well the lesson taught in the protocol of 

 the foreign powers. Her views and her 

 conduct have undergone a great change. 

 From a strong conservative and vindic- 

 tive in temperament, she has become 

 a liberal ruler and displays a kindly 

 spirit to those who come in contact with 

 her. 



The court, like its mistress, has under- 

 gone a great transformation. For two 

 hundred and fifty years, since Russia 

 first established diplomatic intercourse 

 with it, the Western powers have been 

 engaged in a constant struggle to secure 

 recognition on a basis of equality. Up 

 to a very recent date no one could ap- 

 pear in the presence of the occupant of 

 the Dragon Throne without prostra- 

 tion and personal abasement. Today 

 the Emperor may be seen as readily and 

 with as little formality as in audience 

 of the crowned heads of Europe, and the 

 Empress Dowager delights to entertain 

 her foreign visitors with an afternoon 

 tea. The newspaper correspondents and 

 society gossips give Mrs Conger, the ac- 

 complished wife of the American min- 

 ister, much credit for the friendly 

 change in Her Majesty's attitude to- 

 ward foreigners. It is pleasant to re- 

 mark, in passing, that Mr Conger has 

 won golden opinions from native and 

 foreign circles for his great discretion 

 and good judgment in his long term of 

 diplomatic service, for his fortitude in 

 the siege of the legations, his uniform 

 courtesy, and his devotion to the inter- 

 ests of his country. 



The change in the conduct of the 

 Empress Dowager has led to the send- 

 ing abroad of imperial princes, has im- 

 pressed itself upon her cabinet ministers 

 and their subordinates, and its effect 

 has extended to the remotest provinces. 

 She has taken care to send to some of 

 the most conservative and anti-foreign 

 provinces viceroys of known liberal 

 views, who are rapidly transforming 

 the sentiments of the inhabitants. The 



edicts which have recently appeared 

 rival the liberal ones of the Emperor 

 six years ago and for which he was 

 virtually deposed, making changes in 

 the subjects and methods of the govern- 

 ment examinations for officials, rele- 

 gating to a less prominent place the 

 Chinese classics, etc., bringing to the 

 front " the Western learning," modern 

 science, history, and politics, direct- 

 ing the establishment of colleges and 

 schools, and denouncing official corrup- 

 tion. 



A spirit of intelligence is being awak- 

 ened. Under the direction of Sir Robert 

 Hart, a domestic postal system has been 

 established (hitherto unknown) reaching 

 to the remotest parts of the Empire. A 

 great desire for education has been cre- 

 ated. Viceroys and governors are es- 

 tablishing colleges and schools on the 

 Western model, and the demand for for- 

 eign teachers has been greater than the 

 supply. Many more students than for- 

 merly are being sent abroad. More than 

 one thousand are now in the Japanese 

 universities and colleges ; many hun- 

 dreds have been sent to Europe, and 

 quite a number are now in American 

 institutions of learning. 



Many more would be in this country 

 were it not for the harsh measures of the 

 immigration officials at San Francisco 

 applied to incoming Chinese students. 

 Mr William E. Curtis, the well-known 

 newspaper correspondent and author of 

 Oriental books, who has recently re- 

 turned from a visit to China, is my au- 

 thority for this statement. There are 

 now in the United States the sons of two 

 of the most influential viceroys and of 

 other high officials. Mr Curtis says 

 ' ' they could not have entered this coun- 

 try without suffering shameful indigni- 

 ties and humiliations, if they had not 

 accompanied the Chinese minister at 

 Washington as a part of his suite. ' ' He 

 adds : " No Chinese gentleman, what- 

 ever his rank or wealth or purpose, can 

 enter the port of San Francisco without 



