PERFECT COURTESY

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 112, 12 May 1923, Page 22

PERFECT COURTESY

CHINAMAN AND GENTLE-

MAN

WHY HIS POPULARITY IN THE

DOMINIONS

THE PHILOSOPHY OF CONFUCIUS,

Our vegetable "John" has just passed out at the gate. He has been at the iack door depositing the carrots or cauliflower we are sure to meet later at dinner. He is a quaint looking figure. Yet he is decidedly, if quietly, popular. A "white Australia" is a slogan that sounds all right at political meetings. But if, in our street, a ballot was taken on the question, our vegetable John would not be sent home to China; and itrong feeling would be displayed against anyone who labelled him an undesirable alien, or indeed, any kind of alien, says t writer in the Melbourne "Age." John iB more angel than alien.

Admittedly his appearance is unfavourable to the angelic theory. At first eight it is difficult to guess the secret of his popularity. It simply cannot be his beauty. In saying that w» do not wish to hurt his feelings, a thing more easily done than m'&ny people seem to imagine. And, to his credit be it said, John is the last person in the world who would willingly hurt ours. For John, in his own person and as a symbol of his nation, is the apex of all human politeness, i '

There are few, things about which, people are so touchy as about their breeding ; they invariably consider their manners of excellent quality. No feature in another, nation is bo quickly seized upon tor criticism. The average person takes scant account of Leagues of Nations, but he can usually attach a descriptive tag to the manners of nations. The English are boorish, the Americans aggressive, the French artificial. Whatever the adjective employed the manners are all by implication inferior to those of the nation of the adjudicator. Now, the importance of manner* cannot be over-stressed. The ■wise men in every generation have urged their diligent cultivation. But in. this school) as in every kind of school, some are more apt pupils than others. And^, as Australians, we may as well admit straight off that in the matter of manners we are hopelessly outclassed by the nation of which our humble vegetable John is the emblem.; We needn't assume any penitential sheet on account of it, for all the other peoples of earth are equally outclassed. You need to have only a very- alight experience of the Chinese in their own land to realise that in the matter of politeness they have us all beaten, not merely on the post, but from the starting pistol. . Of course, their philosophy of hie allows room for them being polite. We are sometimes amused at their calm; they are always amazed at our hustle. Confucius is their philosophical father, and bis writings are largely concerned ;with details of etiquette, fie was less Worried about their destiny in future than about their immediate behaviour. And the proof ol his greatness as a teacher is found in the fact that he proluced an entire nation possessed of exquisite manners and perfect courtesy. ' Certainly, Confucius got in early. He •was teaching 600 yeans B.C. By the time Christ was born the Confucian philosophy was part of China's mental make up. And the politeness practised iB by no means conventional j it can be relied on 'in all circumstances. Nor is it confined, to, any daws you are as sure of it from the coolie as from the mandarin.' - '■■■ .;- - . „ The. Chinese think Westerns barbarians;' and sometimes not unnaturally. After having themselves practised courtesy for two thousand years:, they found their country, invaded a century ago by groups of aggressive Westerns feverishly demanding territorial and other concessions. These fortune-hunters were often shockingly rude without intending it; juat as often they did intend it. And, of course, the bluffing and bullying these get-rich-quick gentry thought it paid to practise did not give the Chinese a high impression of foreign politeness. ■ To get the Chinaman's point of view you have to invert many of your own fixed standards. Most of our social actions he performs in an exactly contrary fashion. When you and I meet we shake hands with each other, the Chinaman shakes; his two hands together; the left, not the right,, is the position of honour; when in mourning we wear black, he .wears white; when in perplexity we scratch our head, he scratchesthe base of his spine. There'is a touch of that contrariety in all his »tiquette. For instance, when we talk to a gentleman who is our elder we don't take off our spectacles, if we happen to wear them; the Chinaman will keep his off all the while the conversation lasts. We look our magistrates, and even more important officials, straight in the eye; -We-- Chinaman considers that churlish effrontery. We should look at their .;chest,";;not.-;their . face.', ' v. ■'■;.■.

! The way in which we -ass paper bearing printed matter is conclusive proof ofTour barbarism. We use it for wrapping up'all' 1 manner of things; the humble fish and potato supper ia served up on printed- paper. To the Chinaman that -seems' sacrilege. Then it is quite unworthy of a gentleman to be seen carrying a parcel, however neat. Even the burglar, when he is found inaking -up a bundle, is treated with courtesy... .The night watchman does not arrest_him, ho merely politely requests him to go and "make his fortune" in another, part of the town.

"" Western whiskers, too, are unseemly. ■Whiskers and moustaches happen to be "out" just at present in Australia; but ,when they are "in" we decorate tho male face in conformity with the prevailing fashion. If we feel disposed to, we grow moustaches before we are fifty, beards before we are sixty. Yet in .Chilian these adornments must await these -appropriate dates. Besides all .that,-.-it- is a violation of the most elementary canon of filial decency to grow hair; on your face while your father is •till-alive. ■': ..'; :' :.

' The way we use and obtrude our legs md arms offends the Chinese sense of propriety. 'When standing. we fidget with,our arms instead of letting them hang • straight down; when sitting, we cross our legs instead of keeping both feet' neatly on the ground. When walking ;w6 swing our arms, hold high our head, glancing' in the passing at all lhat interests, us. The Chinaman lets his arms hang limply as if they were broken, and stares straight ahead of him. When any of our friends are officials, «yen of high degree, we greet them when jhey heave in sight with an affable nod and are done with them. The Chinaman does not dispose of the matter co lightly. When a Chinese official meets another the very minimum of politeness requires that, the sedan chairs be halted; the occupants climb out and exchange _ cereiiiomal greetings. Even in China'it becomes'a bit. of a nuisance when it happens too often, so it is an understood arlangein.entrtlia!/, whep two chaira.are ap-

proaching, servants carrying huge fans run forward and screen their respective masters. By this means a formal recognition and the ordained ceremonies are avoided. It probably reads like a piece of juvenile strategy, but we have social practices .even more silly in the West. When we happen to be in one of our rapidly extending suburbs, and are in a quandary as to the position of our friend's residence, we inquire in casual fashion of the first passer-by. Certainly you are an exceptional brand of Australian if you first of all bow low, place your hands submissively on your breast, and begin your brief question with "Venerable sir." Yet the Chinaman always does it so.

When you have occasion to pass to some other person in a room a book, or the matches, or any odd thing that may be asked for, you never consider yourself boorish when you do it with one hand. The Chinaman thinks you ought to know better. You should always use both hands, unless you wish to insinuate that the other fellow is your social inferior. When some house in your vicinity is burned down probably your first emotion is one of wonder as to "how much Brown will be able to knock out of the insurance." When there is a similar, occurrence in China each neighbour hastens to send the victims a present, so that they may have something .with which to resume housekeeping- ;,: ,:

"Saving the face" is the supreme consideration in Chinese social life. Everyone has a certain amount of face, and that is the last, thing to be lost. There are'humiliations you may not ..impose even on the humblest beggar, if you. have any aspiration to be deemed polite. And it. will save much mental confusion if we grasp clearly the fact that, the Chinese is not always heathen; his ways are not always dark. His. desire, to be polite, may occasionally conflict with his, duty to be 'sincere. But after an overdose of the boasted "honest bluntness" ,of -the West the atmosphere of Chinese urbanity is very restful. Indeed, a larger admixture of it in our Australian daily life would be ,very acceptable.