CHINESE CULTURE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 6313, 13 September 1907, Page 2

CHINESE CULTURE.

An unusual scene was witnessed in the Aula of Berlin University, on July 19th, when, for the hist time, the degree of Doctor was conferred on a student of Chinese nationality. The ceremony was conducted in the presecnce of the Chinese Ministers to the Courts of Berlin and Vienna, and a large number of students and most of the Chinese students and residents in Berlin. Ma Do Yuen, who has acquired the title of Doctor of Jurisprudence, has studied for six semesters "> in Berlin, during which time he has translated into Chinese the text of the Prussian Constitution, to which he has added his own commentaries. In his dissertation he treats of "The entrance of the Chinese Empire into the international union." He asserts in it that the Chinese are not so arrogantly and narrow-mindedly disinclined to progress as many Western authors represent them to be. He contends that the assimilation of Western culture with that of . the Chinese cannot be accomplished as quickly as Europeans consider possible, for the Chinese cannot be ex: pected at once to renounce the culture which they have preserved for a thousand years, nor give up their nationality. He points out that Europeans overlook the immensity of the Chinese Empire, which, is equal in size to the Continent of Europe, and claims that Europeans are hardly themselves to blame if Western civilisation does not quickly take hold of four hundred million inhabitants. Europeans, he says, judge everythin e from their own standpoint, and he is sure that many one-sided judgments and many mutual prejudices will disappear when Europeans and Chinese understand each other better.

The members of the philosophical faculty congratulated the new Doctor heartily on his work and his success.