Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-31
MINISTER WUS GRIEVANCE
SAYS THAT CHINA HAS BEEN
SLANBERED.
Papers Made All Sorts of Charges
He Claims, and They Were
Readily Believed.

Discussing the latest developments in the
Chinese situation, Minister WI said today:
II am glad, after all, that this direct
news has come from Mr.. Macdonald and
from the German and Japanese legations to
the effect that all of the ministers were
alive and well on the 22d of this month.
This conclusively corroborates all of the
news coming heretofore from the Chinese
officials and from the Chinese government
Before this news came many of the pa
pers here, and especially the press In Eu-
rope, did not believe the Chinese official
statements, but adhered to the opinion
that a massacre of all the ministers had oc-
CURED in Pekin, notwithstanding the SOL
emn assurances of the Chinese government
In the form of imperial edicts that all the
foreign ministers were safe and that they
were being supplied with provisions, fruits
and vegetables. This section of the press
and public had come to this conclusion
merely on the presumption and probabili-
ties of the case without any facts, and
when they We're confronted with the posi-
tive assurances Of our government they
still would not change their opinion.
ut is the general rule Of evidence that a
man is supposed to be innocent till he has
been proved guilty, but in this case the
world has reversed the usual rule and In
sisted on holding China guilty till her inno-
cence had been proved. People seem will
ing to believe everything that is black
against the Chinese.
Responsibility OF the Press.
1.-The editors who are the leaders of puh,ic
opinion in this country and who are mainly
responsible for forming public opinion ought
to be very careful and cautious In doing
so. They should not jump at conclusions
without positive evidence
Even those who have been to China
have expressed similar opinions, some OF
them In the public press. 1 was astonished
the other day to see letter by a clergy
man who had been for fifty years a resi-
dent Of China, and who aid that I was
Keeping back the truth as to what had
happened In Pekin, and that l was person
ally responsible for what had occurred.
People here and In Europe naturally look
10 their countrymen- who have been in
China to help them In forming correct opin-
ions as to events there. Bnt II they have
to rely on men like the one l have lust
mentioned they are often mdsled and unwit-
tngly do great injustice to China. This
shows the importance of exercising great
Judgment and discretion in Judging of mat
ters relating to the east, and especially to
China.
Gross Injustice.
In this matter a gross Injustice has been
inflicted on China as nation, and serious
consequences might have followed II the
great powers had acted on such absurd
rumors and jumped at conclusions as to
what had happened. I think the people and
the papers who have done this injustice
should do what they can in fairness to ac-
knowledge their mistake. And l hope in the
future people will not Jump at such un-
warranted conclusions OF unsupported
statements. all coming from one source
They should remember that the Chinese
can and do tell the truth as much as other
nations. l am very glad that these tele-
grams have come to support what we have
all along contended Is the truth.
Il must not omit to say that a portion
OF the press, especially in America, had
the forethought and the honesty of pur-
pose to credit our statements, which, as
you see, are all borne out by the facts in
the case"