New-York tribune., 1900-07-16
THE PASSING THRONG

D. J. McLachlan. Of chihuahua Mexico
and mining engineer who spent five years n " s
following his profession NJ !,
GIVES UP Lachlan started to return ., -
HOPE FOR country In 800 but prelirof,.- us
CONGER. 50 doing he visited Manila - -
remained for three months 4, - -
Philippines investigating the commercial rszor,-
and possibilities of the Islands from prossss-o.-
point Of view. When seen at the Hoffman - @-l
yesterday just prior 70 starting for Mexieo ~
McLachlan said:
In saving anything concerning the prssen, A.
culJies in China. I want first 20 call attenrio, :.
the tremendous importance Of the problem, -.
fronting the civilized world There are four -
dred million Chinese. and once they learn or =.
taught to fight, il will require enormous pozsr =
suppress them To-day a certain prOpOrtlon =,
them understand and have been drilled in -
modern art of wan. How many there are Or :.
what extent they have learned the lesson rema,r.
70 be seen. but the world knows now thar 49,
Chinaman Is far Oetter Hgnjer than he mas bs-s
at any previous time IN MS history Therefore -
subjugati0n IS more difficult problem than h -
heretofore been. That ne must b. subilgated 49,
made TO pay for the uaspedHaoIe wrongs ne -
committed, no one in the Western world dena~
and 1t only remains 10 be seen what the uesT,
ana methods Wi1I Will Se eIlplOyrd 20 orlns MIN %
reason. 1 wCuIG like 20 say mere, TFosr a wide Know
edge Of the Chinese gained from my long res
dence among them tGit persnIaiy 90 nos believe
that there is a chance that Minister Congsr ana
the other Americans in PeEing nave not persisted.
that they have been done 70 death % torture. ana
that the have lost their lives n torment xhi-
the women have had 10 submit 10 worse. n
dark story OF Feking, as il slowly unf5ds !Iself
grows steadily worse Russia mas told what vs.
the fate Of her representative; IL remains to BE-
seen what was the rate OF ours can tel yo1
one thing. however, and that IS that, II u %
Gters was boiled alive, II Conger fell living into
their hands, his END was as awful A o-oodsss
treacherOus cruel and relentless race. The China
man will stop at nothing in the way o, atrocily. h
the power 70 be aITocious Is once given him. FFhea
weeks ago, Chinese matters began 70 assume an
acute stage I then feared the worst but as IA
had great Army and Navy practically al the
portal Of that door We seek 20 keep open I then
hoped that they YOU'D oe oI0usnt mo instant Use
Ihey were not, however, ana apparently are not 70
be, although almost sufficient force exists n
the Philippines 10 save the day were IL only sent
once 10 China.
Il saw much Of Army officers while in Manila
continued Mr.. McLachIan, and looked also into
the previous condition OF tina
PHILIPPINES islands. I do not remember ths
ARMY READY exact number of troops that Spain
FOR CHINA thought necessary 10 maintain
order in the archipelago. buc they
did not exceed 10000. Ny recollection is that they
approxima ted 10000, To-day we nave in the Philip
pines according to the records Of the War Depart
ment. 81 900 men. OF this number 1900 are quite
sufficient to garrison all the great poF-s
and centres. and could hold all and mors
than all that Spain ever dominated. In
portant America the future OF ths
Philippines unquestionably is, another and
greater problem has arisen in the East. The pres
ent aspect of Chinese affairs causes Philippine
matters pale by comparison The troops Fs
have II the East are needed more in Cathay than
where they at present II would Therefore
seem to that il would be wisdom the part
of Government 70 hold the important points
ana put the rest OF the PnlIpDlnes aside Ior The
moment The extra 10000 that this policy
would insure could be shipped then TO China as
rapidly may be- Once there. the march %
Peking could be begun without that harassing de-
lay that must ensue II troops 20 be raised and
drilled in America. In the mean time If thought
wisest. fresh levies from this country could be
sent TO take their place / suppose this vii
sound jingoistic, but, from my knowledge Of the
Chinese I not only fear, but know they have d0us
their worst The longer the delay in attacking the
greater the uprising and the stronger the f0rca
there will be to attack Had the Philippine force
been used IN the beginning, they might have saved
the situation. AS II IS they still available
save a bad situation from growing worse"