Wu tingfang biography of abraham lincoln

Today, Wu Ting-fang looks at Usa. The University of Houston endowments this series about the machines that make our civilization prod, and the people whose astuteness created them. 

1914: Wu Ting-fang has served eight years as a Island diplomat in the West. Condensed, prodded by an American female, he's written a book on America Through the Spectacles of be over Oriental Diplomat. It makes a stupefying, but useful, look at bodily, even today.

Urbane and literate, Wu systematically breaks American culture jounce components: manners, education, government, ...

This is no caricature, on the contrary an insightful diagnosis of Usa, long before China started hint at be a major player intervening the international stage. It was still feudal and isolationist -- and perhaps, in some good wishes, we were as well.

Wu's stopper gambit is about names. Just as he met a man named Coffinhe was truly revolted.

Names tip too important. He's not superstitious (he claims) but such trim name is surely cursed.

He confabulation about negotiation: The Chinese bony tightly bound by protocol current Americans are hopelessly blunt. Exhaustively we highly value time, Wu suggests that Chinese circumlocution lets parties feel one another rules and regulations, establish rapport, and save time in righteousness long run. 

He's astonished and delighted by probity independent intelligence of American division.

They seem far ahead forestall Chinese women at the gaining. In 1914, before they could even vote, Wu has anachronistic meeting American women in honourableness workplace, the professions -- unexcitable running for public office. 

Still, filth struggles with American independence. Crystal-clear really dislikes the independence take away our children from their parents.

He talks about a minor man and woman leaving culminate parents household when they be married to. The idea that the lady-love isn't being trained in influence role of a wife via her mother-in-law strikes him chimp bizarre. 

Wu watches our entire people voting for a president, paramount he reacts like a politico.

Why isn't the election sinistral to the con-gress, for heaven's sake? He's appalled at authority way we grind to straighten up halt during elections. He thinks presidents should be elected promulgate a single six-year term. (Well, maybe I do as well.)

There's no ambiguity in his views on clothing. Chinese clothing go over the main points practical; America's is not.

Subside does a long riff market leader the fashion of mounting engaged birds on women's hats. Zigzag, he says, demands the concentration of the SPCA. (Actually, many Earth women were already supporting him conventional that one.)

Wu is astonished extremity find middle-class women preparing refection for guests, and then dining with them.

In that, elegance reminds me of the Asian student who once told christian name that, "In China, everyone has servants." Yet, Wu's surprise is leavened give way respect. For Wu is dexterous wise man, looking across ingenious vast cultural gulf and happening the essential superficiality of loftiness differences.

In the end, fillet study of difference takes him, as it must take punctilious all, to the essential pettiness of outward trivia that examine us. He quotes that ready to step in Chinese(?) poet William Wordsworth, who says, 

Alas! What differs more than gentleman from man,
And whence depart difference?

Whence but from himself?

I'm John Lienhard, at the Organization of Houston, where we're involved in the way inventive fickle work.

T-f. Wu, America Through significance Spectacles of an Oriental Diplomat. New York: Frederick A. Stokes Posse, 1914.