The herald., 1895-09-03
SITUATION IN THE ORIENT
Opinion of an Officer Who Has
Long Been There
CAUSE OF THE MASSACRES
Russia and Japan Will Engage In
H0stilities
The Latter nly R-e the Day That She
Fought China - Russian Bear
Sharpening His Claws
Associated Press Special Wire.

Associated Press Special Wire.
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 2.--Chester
Holcomb, who has just returned from
China after twsnty-one years service in
the American legation at Pekin says
that thesrecene massacre is traceable to
the result OF the recent Chinese Japanese
war.
AT the commencement Of the recent
war between China and Japan" said he,
'it was generally feared that the lives Of
fore eigners i'll China would be IT great
danger as long as the war lasted. AS q
matter OF fact there was practically no
danger as long as the war lasted, and it is
only since the hostilities ceased that the
danger has commenced. We have had
proof of tina. fact in the recent massa-
cres, and l think I can explain the rea-
son.
"ln the first place the great mass OF
Chinese are disappointed at the result of
the war and are taking revenge on all for
eigners whom they can kill with impu-
nifty.
I'm the second place the killing and
pillaging receives great encouragement
by reason of the depredati ms committed
by hordes Of disbanded soldiers all over
the country. The Chinese government
has peculiar method of disposing OF its
troops at the close of a war. When the
soldiers areIno longer needed they are dis
charged from service at the place where
they happen to be at the time. The
fact that an army may Ds thousands of
miles away from home when it is dis
banded and the fact that tho soldiers
may not possess any II cans of getting
home does not interest the governmon In
the least. The troops are turned looes
and. to use an American expression. they
have to beat their way back to the place
from whence they came. That they
should pillage and commit depredations
is therefore only natural to such people
Under such circumstances, and tranquil
ity will not reign in China for some time
TO come. Just before I lett Japan I
learned that an American missionary
Sho has been laboring near Pekin since
1863 had been assaulted and severely cnt
with a knife. His name is d. 2. Shelf
field, and have kuown him quite we'll for
years. 1t is only fair to the other side to
say, however, that the: e:assailants were ar.
rested and will be tried for their offenses.
If such prompt action was taken in the
cases of other offenders the wholesale kill
ing OF missionaries in China would be
speedily stopped. 1t is almost impossible,
however. to mets ont justice to Offend
ing Chinese in the interior provinces and
the fault is the fault of the government.
Mr.. Holromb says the most interesting
question in the Orient at the present
time outside the missionary massacres
m iS
f1iCt between Russia and Japan. That
Japan and Russia will become mixed up
in dispute which will result in war goes
without saying, and the commencement
of actual hostilites is not far off. The
Japanese have big grievance against
Russia and Russia is preparing to make
things warm for tue japanese. The other
day l was told very frankly by Japanese
officials who hold high position in the
government that Japan would live to rue
the day when she permitted herself to
become mixed up in war with China.
1t has given Russia an opportunity she
has long wanted.
mo one knows better than I how mar
rowly Japan escaped war with Russia
when she got through with her war with
China. The Japanese we're so incensed
at Russia's attitude in the matter of the
cession of tho Liao Tung peninsula that
the Japanese officials talked seriously
VI eHRdSlnS III u SqudDule Will husSld. L
was in Jpaan at the time and heard it
all. A certain member of the Japanese
cabinet. whose acquaintance made when
he was sent to Pekin as the Japanese
minister to China, said to me at the
i me, Russia has six iron battle sh irs.
We have but one and that we captured
from the Chinese. If we had but, four
lronclads or only three we would defy
Russia That is just what Russia want
ed them to do. Russia will yet so ag-
gravate the Japanese that they will de-
clare war. Then Russia will ATTEMPT to
drive the Japanese out of Corea where
they are now masters of the situation.
The japanese are debating affairs in
Corea, for while the king still remains on
the throne he does nothing that Count
Inouye does not tell him to do. The fight
between Russia and Japan will be over
Corea and it will come just as soon as
Russia finds that she wants an open port
on the Pacific"
Mr.. Holcomb will leave for Washington,
d. c., tonight.