THE CHINESE PEOPLE.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 79, 15 November 1911, Page 3

THE CHINESE PEOPLE.

Mr Chow Si Lanchu, the Imperial Chinese Consul for New Zealand, is a native of Pekin, where ho was born twenty-nine years ago. He began life in the .Government service there, but was educated in America, graduating at a New York college, where he spent seven years. Later oil he was appointed Vicc-Cdnsul at Manila) then he returned to'the Government service at Pekin, and lately received the appointment of Consul to this Dominion. In a chatty interview with a Christchurch “Press” reporter he said that there was no doubt that the present trouble in China was the direct result of the demand that had been made for some time frr constitutional government . The idea really was to improve the present system rather than to bring about very 7 violent changes. The leaders of the rebellious movement did not wish to introduce a republican form of government, but merely to bring about constitutional changes, which would still leave the Emperor on the Throne, but which would largely restrict his powers and would prevent the members of the Imperial family from bolding tbe high offices ot State. The proposal, in fact, was to apply to the Chinese nation a constitution moulded on that of the British Empire, and establishing a limited monarchy. When the trouble was over and the nation settled down to peace again, the Manelms would probably unite with the other sections and all would push on along the road of progress, on the lines adopted by Western nations. The edict issued by the Emperor some time igo, permitting inter-marriage between the Manehus and the other races of China, would foster that spirit. All the leaders of the rebellion bad adopted Western ideas. Many of them bad been educated in foreign countries and were well acquainted with foreign ideas, in regard to government, education, encouragement of industries, and. so on. As a matter of fact, at the present time there were more Chinese students in foreign countries than there had over been, and most of them would return to their native land in order to give their fel-low-countrymen the benefits of their study and experience. Speaking of the Chinese in Christchurch whom ho has visted during his stay here, lie said that he found them on the whole contented and fairly prosperous. The t v told him that during the past few years they had been treated much hotter than previously. Their windows w-ere not broken by stones now and I bey were no longer annoyed by larrikins. He bad found that the same satisfactory state oi affairs existed in Wellington.

Mr fjiinclm lias been in New Zealand for only about six weeks. On Monday be will leave Christchurch for Dnnedjn. He will then return north and spend some time in the Auckland province, iminirinjn into the condition of the Chinese on the )>mn(lchls and goldfields in that part of the Dominion.