National Geographic Magazine/Volume 16/Number 1/Progress in China

PROGRESS IN CHINA

Mr William E. Curtis in his public letter of December 12 says that cable dispatches from China bring the news that the empress dowager has issued an edict requiring all of the soldiers in the army to wear European dress and cut off their queues. Her orders have already been obeyed in the province of Honan. The viceroy of Honan, who has been so prompt in carrying out these instructions, has a son being educated in the United States, and the youngster had not been six weeks in this country before he cut off his own queue to escape the teasing of his schoolmates. The viceroy was greatly shocked when he heard the news, because a young man without a queue in China is quite as conspicuous as a young man with one would be in the United States. It was difficult to reconcile the old gentleman to the situation, but he seems to have obeyed imperial orders in that respect very promptly.