inside. They must be held at a distance, avoiding familiarity. . . . If
they show a leaning towards right principles and present tributary
offerings, they should be treated with a yielding etiquette; but bridling and
repression must never be relaxed for conforming to circumstance. Such
was the constant principle of the sage monarchs in ruling and controlling
the barbarian tribes.''


It is not surprising, therefore, that when foreigners
from the distant West sought to force their way into
China, the Chinese, knowing nothing of the countries
from which they came, should have regarded them in accordance
with their traditional belief and policy regarding the
inferiority of all outsiders.

The resultant difficulty was intensified by the
indifference, to use no harsher term, of the foreigner to
the fact that the Chinese are a very ceremonious people,
extremely punctilious in all social relations and disposed to
regard a breach of etiquette as a cardinal sin. ``Face'' is a
national institution which must be preserved at all hazards.
No one can get along with the Chinese who does not respect it.


``It is an integral part of both Chinese theory and practice that realities
are of much less importance than appearances. If the latter can be
saved, the former may be altogether surrendered. This is the essence of
that mysterious `face' of which we are never done hearing in China.
The line of Pope might be the Chinese national motto: `Act well your
part, there all the honour lies'; not, be it observed, doing well what is to be