GOOD MANNERS

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 148, 25 June 1934, Page 7

GOOD MANNERS

A CAMPAIGN Itf CHEs TA

"NEW LIFE MOVEMENT"

A good deal-is[ being heard'in' China these days, about the so-.ealloa "New Lifp Movement:'? Which/was launched k? - 9 en? r? lissi?Sl? 'Chiang Kai-shek in a speech at his'1 field headquarters in I Nanchahg, Kiangsi province, on February 19, and aims; Broadly at the:regeneration of the race by a return to the traditional Chinese virtues of "li," "yi," "lien,", and "ehih"-rgenerally rendered into English as good manners, righteous conduct; honesty, and selfrespeet (says .the "Manchester Guardian"),;;,/Invttiev course of his1 address the Generalissimo urged that if the Chinese r.pepple' wished to rebuild the nation v they must,begin- afrtiomeAby re-' moulding their own private lives in accordance with these: principles'. ' This' injunction was' amplified later by-the issue of a pamphlet entitled "Requisites of the-New % Life," which gave "a list of. ninety^ix suggested rules of daily con-/ duct, such, as the following:— . / 1; Be tidy'in ; your dress. " ' ■ Hold:;yotirseli straight ,■ • and look straight, before you. ' : \ v Be mannerly-in eating,1 .." -! Keep your hpmeV"tidy., Do nbt eat,.; smoke; or talk noisily when out walking. ■ ■,-': ".,--■.'■: ', Do noV laugh fin the .presence of . death. i£ .'.:.' '■'','.: I- ,',".-;' '■■;. '. Do not; scramble to board buses, steamers,'or trains. ;•..,.■ ', ..;,;■ '■ .Do not*gamble or smoke opium.. ;. * Be respectful, to;' the■'. aged and to ■women. y :■.-.';'' r •.'.'•;..'.' ';■,;,...',' .' • " Honour ,'yoiir parents; love your brd-'" thers arid.'sisters. '. ,''~ ; ..■ ... .'" ! ;" ■', , Eise early. \and: retire early. ■ . '. Wash| your-face and hands.:,' ' Bathg:; constantly. N '■ -, . '■"; . Keep.yotir clothing clean/and.in-good repair.; :".H: •;; ■• '-..- .'•.';■■'; ','.•■ '•.:,' ' ■Destroy;niosquitbes;and rats. '"'.''v...' ..' . ■Don't;rthrow waste '.paper../ on" the stre'et; .'^!--' '■'•, .'.'"'!':..\; '*''-' ;■. ■';/'■>■ ' ' Be neighbourly and- affable; ' ."■ . ; ' Be particular about, your . own- doorstep. '■■::?-■■;•''.■ -■.■':•■■■. :■/■;:'-' /../• ;■■'■ ,:::■}.: " Keep -appointments' punctually. ' CYNICISM IN THE NOBTK rrom.this beginning.the movement has been^exiended t'hrpjighout the country. . PublietJmeetings ''isii support of it have . been, heli, at : , centred: as i widely distributed'i'as* "'Nanking,; Shanghai, Hangchbwy; Peking, Hankow, and Tsinanfu. In,,North China the response so far, ho-vreveryappqars! to' have been per- ; functorjr^i^.d .limited to ; Government 'quartersj* there is \no.'indicatibn that the p6p\ilarTimaginati6hThas been even faintly, 'stirred. . Newspaper .comments for the.;movs.t;part,.'are; tinged with a' considerable"degree,;pf cynicism, .point-ing-oiitv'thati'af it; is 'to achieve any, lasting, resulfithe movement.must begin with the .; Gbyernment leaders;'" ; themselve's.- !;;;■'.■;.. *l l ''.''1.::.: 1 ',:7''''•."..>.'.■:.••"', V-'w v'-'-v'- ■ We are.sure.(one outspoken e'ditoV-Se- . clares) t.^atlf 'some' statistically-ininded person Tyefe'.:tp!;jmakQ'a' study of the; palatial vhonies built by! our" Gbvefhment leaders jn;Shanghai, and. other foreign ports, and; their' bank deposits, as well as the amount.of "money. spent on luxuries, -he' .find that : millions 'of dollars are squandered, annually by pur ruling classes.I';.!ThQ^ present movement is 'boundl toj'f ail.'if our: officials cohtinne to live luxuriously and wastefully while' rerideringjHp-servide' to its /ideals.' The' Government 'leaders :niust first set an example*; of thrift' before there will'be any possibility of (the rest o£ the country falling into :line. •'. ; ; : ; A typically commonsense view of the matter is. put ; by Dr.-'Hu':Shih,' China's fbremost philosopher,l in an article he contributes to the "Independent Ee-vie-^^^^dSly'-circttlat^'d^t^B'ese; weekly.' >?TOhiie;'( giving- -ttie; Generalis-;; B^m6'4full^re.dil;-.fpEysincierity_:-an'd^ltpn^ esty * of( purposej Dr.''Hu- argued thateven if every one of the ninety-six rules Vere to be carried out' with uniform perfection by each of- China's four - hundred V.odd millions of peoplethe nation ; still' would not "approach' the ordinary standards of civilised life.. No admonition that, officials sho'uld- refrain from "squeeze" is included among the ninety-six rules,i he points.out, yet this is a, fundamental requirement., /'.To.' save the country and ■ restpreyprosper- .„ ity it 'is necessary,'? Dr..Hu/Writes,.ftp; ' depend upon knowledge andf.-alnlity—", qualities whfch are fartreippyfedvfrom the mere: buttoning of but'tpnsiand;the; ■, correct arrangement of '..chopsticks; '.-' Ho suggest that this movement'will; ; .enV. ible us/to . avenge- Qur.'^national;'dis- • grace is .surely to bring ridicule of the wofld."*;^:;/^ '% . ;i ';>:\ ■ MEALS BEFORE BlilWßßS^^) ' In Dr. H;U's opinion, such' 'a*7iiiove-5 ment should b.e educational rather than political in eharacter:-: — .■' ■''■"■■ ■'',;■"'•■ ■ Eeformsin the national mode of living cannot-be accomplished' by the mere posting of slogans. The Govern-' ment should introduce the movement through the lower schools. It can use its .authority to .enforce .health precau- ' tipns and to prevent ;'pe6ple. from* indulging in practices which are harm-: ful to other's, but b'eyond'this the effect must come from home education. "Within the last few years sportsmanship in games, the giving up of seats in tramcars to the; old .and to ,ladies, and economy in wedding and funeral" expenses have .all ; come about, spontaneously. To depend merely upon officials to bring about this "New %ife Movement" will certainly;not be prd-! cluetive of results but, "it is to" be ffiaredj'may. encourage hypocrisy ' instead. ': f.;;.... ' ".' ;..-■' ,' '-.• -" " ■• And in any case, Dr. Hu points, out, what is the "use. of talking abaut "new life" when so, many millions of the common people ha\ie the greatest 'difficulty in living at all? Surely, heurges, the..prime^ duty of the Government is to concentrate upon the improvement off economic conditions. ■