The morning call., 1893-06-07
DENBY DEFENDED.
Our Minister to China in
Others Eyes.
II. D. PIERCE HIS CHAMPION.
That Distinguished Traveller and Law
yer Tells of His Observations In
China, Russia and Japan.

trict Attorney of indianapolis, and his
father. the late Hon. WInslow S. Pierce,
cousin of ex-PreSident Franklin Pierce,
was the first Comptroller Of the State and
acting Governor of California. Mr.. cree
is nephew of the late Thomas a. Hen
drlcks. Vice-President Of the United
States. He was a law partner of David
Turpie, nom United States Senator from
Indiana.
During the last few years Mr.. Pierce
has been a great traveller. his business
taking him all over the world. He has
much original and valuable information
collected in many countries, especially In
Russia, China and Japan.
Mr.. Pierce's stay in China brought him
into Intimate relationship with Minister
DENLY, who, by the retirement of the Ger
man Minister at Peking, has become prac
tic ally what he was before virtually-the
dean Of the foreign diplomatic corps at
the Chinese capital.
Colonel Denby's delicate position in
China, growing out of the relations be-
tween that country and America, has
brought him into peculiar prominence.
Considerable ignorance as 10 his work con-
fessedly prevails. but that has not pre-
vented the earning tongue of criticism
from attacking him. One paper said re-
Gently: DENLY has never done anything
in his eight years of service to distinguish
himself and American prestige Is prob
ablv lower in China now than ever be-
fore"
hese criticisms have brought Mr.
? rce TO Minister Denby's defense,
-~nch attacks on Minister Denby," said
D. Yesterday, ''are actuated not by malice
tn nv pure ignorance of the facts
Vale in CHINA did you have an oppor-
-t.!tv 10 estimate his wOrk?" was asked
II did," Was the emphatic response. Il
saw great deal Of him and heard a great
deal You know he Is an Indianapolis
man, one OF the foremost lawyers of In
diana. BE was appointed to his position
by President Cleveland and was retained
bv President Harrison, not alone on ac-
count of personal friendship. but also
owing to his astonishing capacity for
diplomacy.
Like Webster, Colonel DENLY is tall
broad-shouldered and a fine speaker
When there is any public function, such
as the opening OF a public building,
dedication, rece tiOn or what not, Colonel
DENLY is always called upon. People
don't get an Englishman. but this Amer-
can. He is right al The front and his in
fluence is enormous.
Just to show you: Most tremendous
complications OF etiquette are liable to
arise in the Chinese court. Only recently
the Austrian Minister applied lor his pass
DOItS III view OI DGtdhlDS vi ulpIUUldLiC
relations. The trouble was that he was
not received in the palace, where no one is
received. Things were at deadlock,
when the Prime Minister, Lii Chang, ap-
pealPd 10 Colonel DENLY. who arranged a
compromise reception place-a palace, but
not the palace-and harmony was re-
stored.
Then, again, the greatest difficulty
prevails in obtaining indemnities in China
for Injuries to American and other foreign
property. American missionaries are
especially victims that way, because the
God teachers are even more hated than
the English 'mOney-seekers.' The mis-
sionarles were forced to apply to tile local
COVE tnments for indemnity and never re-
ceived more than half their just claims.
Now, D nbY took the matter, and after
presenting the claims to the local Govern
ment in due form took all the papers to Ii
Chang and asked, When shall | call Tor
my money 2" Ii Chang has invariably
houOred the demands.
"Ali of the missionaries and Americans
in China say that they never had such pro-
lection as now. Denhy Is, In my opinion,
the blest man in diplomacy today
''What is your opinion OF progress in
Chna?"
81 think that it is very slow. if it exists
at all. Guing into China seems ike going
back centuries: Roughly speaking. there
is not a railroad, postoilice and telegraph
in the country. All communication is by
canal-boa
ut is significant that the Government had
to purchase the little 13-mile road built by
the English from Shanghai to the bar
After the purchase the track was torn up
and the rolling stock pitched into the
river. Shanghai is an immense CONNER
cial center and one wouli think business
would kill nonsense. Yet the people all
believed that the smoke and noise of the
railroad had offended their gods of the
ind nd roiy I'm rnfaliata6 nv
famine. Hence the action of the Govern
menU.
.'That very bar near Shanghai might
easily be removed, but superstition will
not allow it. The Chinese call it the
heaven-sent barrier The same difficulty
ing to DENLY. would like to build rail-
road from the sea 10 Peking-a trip which
now takes ten DAYS by boat, and could
then lie made n half day."
''What bout trade relations with Japan,
Mr.. Perce?"
England has all the Japan trade" re-
turned the traveller. I'VE are not in touch
with Japan.
'And while am Oh japan, I would like
to speak of Sir Edwin Arnnld's work
there. | would like to warn all who read
his JapOnica and magazine articles on
that country that they are attempts to
paint gaIIdily very picturesque little lily
He has gone to work aud literally bespat-
tered it with paint. There is modicum
of truth in his work, but it is so plaStpred
over with stucco, terra Gotta, and disguised
with mansard roof of eXaggeratious that
beneath 1t all Japan, as she is, is unrecng-
niZabie."
Mr.. Pierce was then asked about his ex-
periences in Russia.
He took marked exception to the i'm
pressiOns conveyed by George kennan
regarding he Nihilists. He said lie saw
carloads of Nihilists on their way to
Siberia from Moscow. and never saw such
a ruffianly looking set of cutthroats in his
life. HIS opinion was that kennan had
overstated the case of the Nlhilists, and
that the Russian Government was much
better than he portrayed II.
In regard to the trans-Siberian road,
which is being pushed to Vladivostock.
Mr.. Pierce said that it has special mill
tary significance for COrea. All Russ a
was stirred up when he was there by the
news of The negotiations between Corea
and England. England had war-vesseis
hanging around COrea, and was so
menacing that social relations between
English and Russians were disturbed even
as far as Vadivostock. While things were
In this condition of tension Russia doubled
her force of men at work on the trans
Siberian road with the evident desire OF
beiug Bile to bring troous to Corea al the
least attempt On the part of England TO
land an armed force in that country.
81 see." added Mr.. Pierce, as he hurried
OFF to catch car. that they are making a
great fuss about the cGrOnatioD-plate te