and not the other classes of Chinese. For a few years
after the signing of this convention this was the view adopted and acted upon

by the immigration officials, but afterward they changed their attitude,
and the foregoing Article has since been interpreted to mean that only

the above-mentioned five classes can be admitted into the United States,
and that all the other classes of Chinese, however respectable and honorable,

must be refused admission. Will my readers believe that a Chinese banker,
physician, lawyer, broker, commercial agent, scholar or professor

could all be barred out of the United States of America under the provisions
of this convention? In the face of the plain language of the text

it seems too absurd and reasonable" target="_blank" title="a.不合理的；荒唐的">unreasonable to be contemplated, and yet it is a fact.
This convention was proclaimed in December, 1894. According to

its provisions, it was to remain in force only for a period of ten years,
but that if six months before the end of that period

neither Power should give notice of denunciation it should be extended
for a similar period. Such notice was, however, given by China

to the United States and accordingly the convention expired in December, 1904,
and is now no longer in force. No serious attempt has since been made

by the United States Government to negotiate a new treaty
regarding Chinese laborers, so the customs and immigration officials

continue to prohibit Chinese laborers from coming to America
by virtue of the law passed by Congress. It will be seen

that by the treaty of 1868, known as the "Burlingame Treaty",
the United States Government formally" target="_blank" title="ad.形式地，正式地">formally agreed that Chinese subjects,

visiting or residing in the United States, should enjoy
the same privileges and immunities as were enjoyed by the citizens or subjects

of the most favored nation; that being so, and as the convention of 1894
has expired, according to the legal opinion of Mr. John W. Foster,

and other eminentlawyers, the continuation of the exclusion
of Chinese laborers and the restrictions placed upon Chinese merchants

and others seeking admission to the United States are not only
without international authority but in violation of treaty stipulations.

The enforcement of the exclusion laws against Chinese
in the Hawaiian and Philippine Islands is still more inexcusable.

The complaint in America against the immigration of Chinese laborers
was that such immigration was detrimental to white labor,

but in those Islands there has been no such complaint; on the contrary
the enforcement of the law against the Chinese in Hawaii has been, and is,

contrary to the unanimous wish of the local Government and the people.
Free intercourse and immigration between those Islands and China

have been maintained for centuries. What is most objectionable and unfair
is that the Chinese should be singled out for discrimination,

while all other Asiatics such as Japanese, Siamese, and Malays
are allowed to enter America and her colonies without restraint.

It is my belief that the gross injustice that has been inflicted
upon the Chinese people by the harsh working of the exclusion law

is not known to the large majority of the American people,
for I am sure they would not allow the continuation of such hardships

to be suffered by those who are their sincere friends. China does not wish
special treatment, she only asks that her people shall be treated

in the same way as the citizens or subjects of other countries.
Will the great American nation still refuse to consent to this?

To solve the problem of immigration in a manner that would be satisfactory
to all parties is not an easy task, as so many conflicting interests

are involved. But it is not impossible. If persons interested
in this question be really desirous of seeing it settled

and are willing to listen to reasonable proposals, I believe
that a way may be found for its solution. There is good reason

for my optimistic opinion. Even the Labor Unions, unless I am mistaken,
would welcome an amicable settlement of this complicated question. In 1902,

while at Washington, I was agreeably surprised to receive a deputation
of the leaders of the Central Labor Union of Binghamton, New York,

inviting me to pay a visit there and to deliver an address.
As I did not wish to appoint" target="_blank" title="vt.使失望；使....落空">disappoint them I accepted their invitation.

During my short stay there, I was very cordially" target="_blank" title="ad.热诚地；亲切地">cordially and warmly received,
and most kindly treated not only by the local authorities and inhabitants,

but by the members of the Labor Union and the working men also.
I found that the Union leaders and the working men were most reasonable,

their platform being, as far as I could learn, to have no
cheap labor competition but not necessarilydiscrimination against any race.

If the United States Government would appoint a commissioncomposed of
members representing the Labor Unions, manufacturers and merchants,

to treat with a similar commission nominated by the Chinese Government,
the whole question in all its bearings could be discussed,

and I feel certain that after free and candid exchange of views,
the joint Commissioners would be able to arrive at a scheme

which would put at rest once for all the conflicting claims,
and settle the matter satisfactorily to both China and the United States.

When this disagreeable difference has been removed, the friendly relations
between the two Republics, cordial even while one was yet an Empire,

will leave nothing to be desired and cannot but help
to largely affect the trade between the two countries

and to contribute to the peace of the Far East.
Chapter 5. American Education

Out of a total population of 91,972,266 in the United States
there were, in 1910, 17,506,175 pupils enrolled. Few nations can show

such a high percentage of school students. The total number of teachers
was 506,040. Educational efficiency on such a scale can be maintained

only by a large expenditure of money, and from the statistics of education
I find that the sum received from tuition fees was $14,687,192 gold,

from productive funds $11,592,113 gold, and from the United States Government
$4,607,298 gold, making a total of $70,667,865 gold.*

I question whether any other nation can produce such an excellent example
in the cause of education.

--
* There appears to be $39,781,262 missing from these figures.

Possibly Wu Tingfang's figures are incorrect, but it seems more likely
that he neglected to include expenditures by state and local governments.

-- A. R. L., 1996.
--

In every state there are very many schools, both public and private.
There are public schools in every town, and even the smallest village

has its school, while in some agricultural states, such as Wyoming,
where the population is very scattered, teachers are provided by

the government to teach in the farmers' homes wherever three or four children
can be gathered together. The public schools are free and open to all,

but in some towns in the Southern States special schools are provided
for the colored people. Having such facilities for gaining knowledge,

it naturally follows that the Americans, as a whole, are an educated people.
By this I mean the native American, not the recent immigrants and negroes,

but even as regards the latter a reservation should be made,
for some of the negroes, such as Booker T. Washington and others,

have become eminent through their learning and educational work.
The distinguishing feature of the school system is that it is

cheap and comprehensive. In the primary and high schools the boys and girls,
whether they come from the wealthy or aristocratic families, or from

more straitened homes, are all studying together in the same class-room,
and it is known that a President sent his son to study in a public school.

There is, therefore, no excuse for even the poorest man in America
being an illiterate. If he wishes he can obtain a degree in a university

without difficulty. Many of the state universities admit the children
of citizens of the state free, while their tuition fees for outsiders

are exceptionally" target="_blank" title="ad.异常地；极，很">exceptionally low, so that it is within the power of the man
of the most moderate means to give his son a university education.

Many of the college or university students, in order to enable them to go
through their courses of study, do outside jobs after their lecture hours,

and perform manual, or even menial work, during the vacations.
I frequently met such students in summer resorts acting as hotel waiters

and found them clean, attentive, and reliable. During a visit
to Harvard University, President Eliot took me to see the dining-hall.

Many students were taking their lunch at the time. I noticed that the waiters
were an unusually clean set of young men, and upon inquiry was informed

that they were students of the University, and that when a waiter was wanted
many students applied, as the poorer students were glad to avail themselves

of the opportunity to earn some money.
Honest labor, though menial, is not considered degrading,

and no American of education and refinement is above doing it.
In some of the states in the East, owing to the scarcity of servants,

families do their own cooking and other household work.
Some few years ago I was on a visit to Ashburnham, Massachusetts,

and was surprised to find that my hostess not only did the cooking