PEKING DUST
PEKING DUST
BY
ELLEN N. LaMOTTE
Author of "The Backwash of War"
ILLUSTRATED
WITH PHOTOGRAPHS
NEW YORK
THE CENTURY CO.
1919
Copyright, 1919, by
The Century Co.
Published, May, 1919
INTRODUCTION
Two classes of books are written about China by two classes of people.There are books written by people who have spent the night in China, asit were, superficial and amusing, full of the tinkling of temple bells;and there are other books written by people who have spent years inChina and who know it well,—ponderous books, full of absoluteinformation, heavy and unreadable. Books of the first class get onenowhere. They are delightful and entertaining, but one feels theirirresponsible authorship. Books of the second class get one nowhere, forone cannot read them; they are too didactic and dull. The only peoplewho might read them do not read them, for they also are possessed ofdeep, fundamental knowledge of China, and their views agree in noslightest particular with the views set forth by the learned scholarsand theorists.
This book falls into neither of these two classes, except perhaps in theirresponsibility of its author. It is compounded of gossip,—the flyinggossip or dust of Peking. Take it lightly; blow off such dust as mayhappen to stick to you. For authentic information turn to the heavyvolumes written by the acknowledged students of international politics.
Ellen N. La Motte.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The writer wishes to thank the following friends who have been kindenough to lend the photographs used in the illustrations: Warren R.Austin, F. C. Hitchcock, Margaret Frieder, T. Severin and Rachel Snow.
CONTENTS
PART I
Letters Written October and November, 1916