Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-09-01
AN AMERICAN ON CHINA.
Observations of One Who Re-
Gently Returned From There.
DIFFICULTIES OF CAMPAIGNING.

/ SauouS TO sunerfnB ana Loss O1
LIfe-HorrIbIe Scenes at a Chinese
| Execution.
An observing American who has just
returned to San Francisco from China
| and who was in the midst of the dis
turbances just preceding the final out
break takes a very gloomy view of the
situation, says the Cincinnati Enquir-
er. He is William Gorham, president
when interviewed the other day he
said:
Il do not believe that it is possible
for all the allied powers, no matter
what may be the plan of attack or
how mighty the facilities, to conquer
or subdue China. My opinion is based
upon facts as l have observed them.
First of all, it is impossible to main
tain even n small army anywhere
near the Chinese empire. There is no
water to drink, no food to eat, and the
nearest source of supply is in Japan,
three days Journey - source that
would soon become exhausted. What
water there is in China is impure and
unfit to drink, requiring to be boiled
and filtered. In China there is no such
thing as sanitation, and at such times
as this man and beast alike are left IN
buried. Supposing a coast attack
should result in the killing of few
thousand Chinese, as II must to be in
any measure successful. The dead
Chinese would be left unburied upon
the field, and the army would be una
1aln 70 Cd Of
Quent impurifcation of all drinking
water and the stencil. If any advance
were possible, the continued killing
necessary to progress would continue
the conditions, and advance to any ex-
tent would leave open chances for side
attack
THE interior Is peopled to the density
of swarming fleas, and every foot Of
advance would have to be made over
deca wing dead bodies, rendering neces-
sary the impossible water supply from
the rear. AS to food, the enemy can
subsist comfortably upon q small
bunch of rice for a wek, and the sol
diers of civilization would have to
draw substantial supplies from the
rear also. Again, in ordinary warfare
the spreading OF panic and the strik-
ing of terror are powerful elements
with which to subdue. That is an
other impossibility in China. The Chi
nese are absolutely indifferent to the
fate of their fellow men and fearless as
TO their own.
Admitting the possibility of food
supply by oceanic transport service,
there Is the difficulty OF carrying the
supplies to, the interior. In China
there are no beasts of burden except
the cody, who could not well be
pressed into service. China's railroads
and all the railroads leading into China
are in bad repair, If not entirely broken
up and useless. The only method OF
creating anything like a submissive
spirit in the Chinese. 1t SENS to me,
would be to promptly seize and put
to death all high Chinese officials and
Such an act would break
the faith of the Chinese in the in
Of the exalted rulers and the
joss. All things being
without undue pessimism,
it is my opinion that 1t will be n great
deal nearer TO the judgment day be-
fore China is conquered"
During his last stay in Canton Mr..
witnessed an execution and
thus describes the scene:
My friend, Harry Williams. and my
self We're DESTROYS Of witnessing a Chi
nese pirate execution, and one day, by
tipping an underofficial at Il Chinese
Jail, we managed to arrive on the
scene in time to see IL prospective vic
TINS lined up for punishment. 1t was
IN what IS known as the execution
grounds merely an unusually wide
street, with no ropes. ratings or walls
Of any kind surrounding it.
ION the ground, kneeling in n row.
were IL pirates brought to justice.
Their hands were loosely tied together
With pieces Of rope and their cues all
hanging down their backs. They seem
I'd not in the least sorrowful or per-
turbed, even almost bored. AS the ex-
ecutioner advanced to his duty an as
sistant preceded him. carrying a stake |
sharpened at both ends to a point. One
end Of this stick was driven into the |
earth just in front Of the criminal: |
then the executioner's assistant caught |
hold of the Chinaman's cue and slowly |
1rew him forward and downward, tax |
ng care not to use undue consideration |
n shortening the process. When he |
lad drawn the body sufficiently low |
over the sharpened stick. he gave the |
sue quick tug. driving the stake into |
he criminals abdomen and impaliaS |
him firmly. Then he held the cue in
while the executioner rails |
ID his weapon and brought it down |
swiftly on the criminals neck. sever
ne the head from the body. Assured |
V the man would sail pirate seas 10
more.
while the process Of execution was
going on a host of Indifferent and IN
Interested Celestials were standing
Ibout. Here and there was Chinese
policeman whacking any one he chose,
egardless of offense. and the hoodlum
clement was busy teasing and tossing
u -