However, the method of the strong arm and mailed fist, while it has produced results in China, has also carried in itself the elements of its own defeat. The Chinese may make a concession under such circumstances, but they will thereafter have no interest whatsoever in facilitating the business in question; on the contrary, it is likely to be delayed and obstructed at every point, so that it can be carried out only through constant pressure and show of force. The people of China have a strong and widespread sense of equity. He who proposes a reasonable arrangement and gives himself the trouble to talk it over with officials and other men concerned, in the spirit of arriving at a solution fair to all, will build on a sound foundation. Whenever foreign interests have acted on this principle, the results have been far more fruitful of good than where things have been carried through with a high hand by demand and threat, without reasoning or give and take. But to sit in conference with various people on all the phases of any proposal is a great consumer of time. One is kept busy day and night in following the roads and trails that lead to the final meeting of minds from which action is to result.
I had a visit from the Tuchun Tien, of Kalgan, after my return from America in the fall of 1918. I found that the Tuchun was in very bad grace at the American Legation. He had interfered with an automobile service which an American had tried to establish between Kalgan and Urga, in Mongolia, and had in other ways shown an apparent hostility to legitimate American enterprise. As the writing of notes had not secured any satisfactory results, I began to probe into the situation to find what lay back of the attitude of the general.
I found that he was "blood-brother" of Mr. Pan Fu, whom in turn I numbered among my friends. I therefore consulted Mr. Pan Fu about the situation. He said that there must be some misunderstanding, as the General was certainly not animated by any feeling of hostility to America; but that it was possible that the particular American in Kalgan had rubbed him the wrong way. So he promised to write the General a long letter.
A short time later he called on me and reported that General Tien had written him that he was soon coming to Peking and would be very glad to meet me. The Tuchun soon called on me, with Mr. Chow Tsu-chi, and we had a most friendly talk. Very little was said about any past difficulties in Kalgan, but a great deal about future prospects of goodwill and mutual help. In fact, our friendship was quite firmly established, and there was no further room for misunderstanding.
Tuchun Tien was an open-faced, friendly looking person who, though he had straggling side whiskers unusual with the Chinese, had nothing of the berserker in his bearing. Our conversation was long and cordial. When it had already lasted more than an hour, Mr. Chow looked at me apologetically and said, in English: "We had better let him talk, it does him good." As for myself, I was glad to hear his views.
Mrs. Reinsch and I gave a dinner to Mr. Robert Gailey of the Y.M.C.A. on the eve of his departure for America. About thirty guests were present, all members of the American mission societies in Peking. I had just entered the reception room to be ready to welcome our guests when much to my surprise Prince Pu Lun was ushered in. It was evident that there had been some mistake about invitations, but as there appeared to be no other dinner given at the Legation, I made no effort to clear up the error and tried to make him thoroughly welcome. I had the table rearranged so as to seat the Prince between two ladies both of whom spoke Chinese very well. He appeared to be surprised at the composition of the company and the absence of wines, but was apparently well entertained by his neighbours. When the dinner was about half through, Kao, the head boy, came to the back of my chair and whispered to me: "Mrs. Lee's boy outside. Say Prince belong Mrs. Lee dinner." So after dinner I felt in duty bound to tell the Prince that Mrs. Lee had sent word that she would be very happy if he could come to her house in the course of the evening.
After a short conversation, in which he told me about his children of whom he is very fond, the Prince departed, to recoup himself at the house of the navy doctor for the abstinences laid upon him at the minister's dinner.