The representative., 1900-09-20
WHITE BARBARIsM.

White TroeDs in China 4urpass the
Cruelties Of the Nest Barbarous
| - Savases ON Record.
| AS the news from China begins to
arrive by letter. the stories told by
the correspondents on the spot of the
inhuman cruelties practiced by the
| troops OF so-called civilized nations.
surpasses in horror anything ever re-
corded. While 1t is said that most of
this inhumanity is done by soldiers In
| the absence OF officers, that does not
excuse the officers or relieve their gov
ernments of the guilt of these inhu-
manities. II there is not discipline
| enough among these troops for the off,.
cors to control them, then they have
| no business in China ut all. If we are
than the world has ever seen since the
GAYS OF when the Tartar hordes swept
down into Europe, then the troops had
better be recalled until the so-called
civilized nations have progressed to a
| point that they will not send out in
human savages to fight their battles for
ther. Among the many letters de-
scriptive of the butcheries inflicted on
the people of China. the following is
not fy any means the most narrowing.
| 1t seems to be written with a desire to
| simply tell the truth:
| Taku, Aug. 30, via Shanghai, Sept.
2.--The Chinese in the Pei Ho valley
are laying dearly for the folly of their
government. The retribution they are
| suffering exceeds the ordinary penalties
of war. Along the river and the roads
Travelled by the foreign troops between
1'ien Tsin and Pekin an orgie of loot
much useless slaughter of unoffending
inhabitants. While the international
forces were advancing, the command
ers, notably the Japanese, American
and British, enforced a foreign degree
of protection for. property not needed
for military purposes.
At that tine most of the population
except the fighting men had fled. But
now the people are returning to their
homes. only tc find no shelter or rice
" OCCUPATION. In the Overcrowded
famine threatened districts away from
the river their lives and small posses
sions are. at the mercy of the bands
Of soldiers travelling about without
officers.
Conditions prevailing leave. little
ground for the favorable comparison
Of civilized warfare with Chinese meth
DDS. Robbery, ravishing and murder
person one meets contributes stories
from personal observation. The walled
city of Tung Crow was the only town
in the pathway of the international
forces whose people remained and at
tempted to continue business. During
it's occupation the Chinese patroled the
place efficiently, protected the people
and prevented lOoting beyond the
amount inevitable with any army. Cen
Chaffee stationed a guard around the
historic temple outside the wall, for
bidding his troops to enter. The COM
manders encouraged the inhabitants to
resume business, promising protection
to all peaceful persons.
When the armies advanced, however,
the guards were removed, only small
British and American garrison being
left outside the wall. A correspondent
of the Associated Press returning from
Pekin found Tung Chow stripped like
a corn field after a plague of grass
hoppcrs. Everything portable, of the
smallest value, had been taken, goods
from shops, clothing. food and furni-
ture Parties of soldiers of every ma
tionality were roaming about unre-
stricted and presumably were doing
much wanton destruction in the spirit
of deviltry. smashing furniture and
glassware and trampling books and
pictures under foot. Most of the Chi
nese were submitting to all this in abb
jcct fear. TIL few who dared to pro-
tcct their property were kicked about.
Several bodies lay in the streets, ap-
parently those of n-combatants. The
inhabitants, without food or clothing,
were huddling in back yards in a pit
liable condition.
The villages to the southwark are
even worse despoiled. One week after
Pekin was taken the traveller to Tien
Tsin was seldom out of sight of burn
ing houses. Fires are started daily,
although the shelter will be much
needed if the troops are to hold the
country during the winter.
The soldiers are having "fine sport"
in using natives who creep back to
their houses or attempt to work in the
fields as targets. The sight of far
mer lying where he was shot with
basket of grain or armfuls of other
produce nearby is quite common. The
Russians are the chief actors to this
style of conquest, but the French are
remarkably conspicuous, considering
their small number. The Indian troops
and the Japanese are participants only
when beyond the ken of their officers.
From the beginning the conduct of
the Russians has been a blot on the
campaign. The recital of notorious
speaks more forcibly than could any
adjectives. When entering Pekin cor
respondents of the Associated Press
saw Cossacks smash down Chinese