Evening star., 1900-07-07
THE CHINESE CRISIS
It is the Absorbing Topic Of Discus
sion in London.
RESULTS OF MISSIONARY WORK
Magnificent Collection of Art Pre-
sented to the English People.
A AMERICANS IN LONDON

| Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
| LONDON, June %. 1900.
| The great powers have completely I'M
| derrated the military capacity of the Chi
| nese as Great Britain did that of the Beers.
The attack made on Tien Tsin and the ef
| fective of artillery by the Chinese
prove that they have learned the use Of
modern weapons and are by no means con-
| temptible in a military sense.
In the japanese war the Chinese exhibited
a great want both Of training and courage.
| Then they had the weapons, but could not
| use them. From the capacity they have
shown in handling artillery it is evident
| that they have learned some of the lessons
| of the japanese war and the western pow
| ers are finding the Chinese a much more
| formidable enemy than was expected.
| The officers on the spot seem to have mis-
| calculated the numbers and underestimated
| the skill of the Chinese. Admiral Seymour
| would never have set out on his march 10
Pekin with the comparatively small force
| at his command If he had had just idea
| of the character of the opposition he would
| meet. In official quarters the very great
| est anxiety exists as to the fate of the ad-
| mirafs force. 1t Is believed that IL II
| reached Pekin we should have heard Of
| the fact by this time, and there is a very
| grave apprehension that 1t has either been
| cut up that it is now surrounded by
| overwhelming numbers of Chinese troops.
Preparations in China.
| On the subject of armaments I had
talk with a Chinaman over in London
| who processes to know what has been done
| toward arming the Chinese since the war
| with Japan.
1T is quite true he said, that we have
| been surrounding the most accessible places
in China with modern weapons. The war
| with Japan taught US that although. as
/ pp ho rod {.
| is necessary for to match ourselves in
| regard to munitions of war against those
| who at any moment might become our
enemies.
| I'VE have therefore bought la:.s, num-
| bers of krupp and Breusot guns a.; well
as machine guns. Most of the business has
| been done through German firms, and the
| allied forces against Pekin will find that
| the taking of it will be a very different
matter from the affair of 1850. The inner
| city of Pekin. where the imperial palaces
| are, Is a gigantic fort. Thousands of lives
| must be sacrificed in any attempt to take
| 1t, and even then it is doubtful whether the
attack would succeed. We have also had
| German artilerists to teach US the use of
these arms and to train our soldiers in the
use of modern rifles"
There is satisfaction here at the evident
| intention Of the United States to combine
| with the powers. as the British and Amer
| lean forces together would be a sort of bal
ance to the larger forces Russia and Japan
| are sending.
| Great Britain is sending at present 10 900
| troops, and it is hoped that the United
States will at least supply 10000.
The Missionary Question.
Or course, the missionary question bears
| largely on the crisis, and in the opinion of
| good authorities it is responsible for most
| of the troubles in China.
Upon the showing of DIR. G. E Morrison
| of the Times. the most famous of all the
correspondents in Pekin. it would be highly
advisable for nations to prohibit their sub
| Jects from missioniZing China Dr. Morri-
| son says:
During the time / was in China I met
| large numbers of missionaries of all classes
In many cities from Pekin to Canton. and
| tLey UNANIMOUSLY expressed satisfaction at
| the progress they are making in China
| Expressed succinctly, their harvest may be
| expressed as amounting to fraction more
| than Two Cinnamon per missionary per an
| mum. If, however, the paid ordained and
| unordained native helpers be added to the
| number of missionaries. you find that the
| aggregate body of converts is nine-tenths
| of Chinaman per worker per annum: but
| the missionaries deprecate their work being
| judged by statistics. There are 15I1 Pro-
| testant missionaries laboring in the empire
| ana, estimating their results from statistics
| of previous years, as published in the Chi
| nese Recorder. We find that they gathered
last year into the fold 3.127 Chinese-not all
| OF whom, 1t is feared, are genuine Chris
| tians-at a cost of f3JO.OOO a sum equal to
| the combined incomes of the ten chief Lon
| don hospitals
New Words In the Language.
One curious aspect of the South African
| war is the effect 1t has had on the language
We find Admiral Bruce telling the govern
| ment how he had "commandeered'' a small
| coasting steamer to carry the sick and
| wounded among his men across to Wei
hai-wei. We never think of using inverted
| commas now when speak of kopjes or
| slimness or trekking; but probably this dis
patch is the first occasion in which any of
| these newly imported enrichments of our
| mother tongue has received official recop-
| milton.
| Americans in London.
Our country people are now here in full
| force. taking London in on the way to
Paris. You see them on the streets In
| especially in those shops whose British
| owners subtley fly the stars and stripes as
| a bait to the patriotic American. Bewe re
| of the prices in these particular shops You
pay for that flag many times over. Many
| hotels fly the flag, too. The same is true
| of them Thousands of Americans who
| have come to Europe this year for the
Paris exhibition are adopting freely the
| Cathedral route" as the Great Eastern
| railway call their delightful north-country
| route to London. Passengers landing at
| Liverpool and travelling to London by the
Cathedral route, see larger number of
| catheQralS than thcy could by any Ordi-
| nary route. 1t Is true that the road is not
direct. but tourists measure distance by the
most of what is rare ancient that they
can see in given distance. From London
| they can go down to the south coast,
| through some of the loveliest scenery, and
50 on to Paris. If tncy chose to go Paris
| first. they can do the Cathedral route on
| their return journey, and embark at Liver
| pool. instead Of discmb6rking there. Which,
over way the Americans comc-from Paris
| to London or from London to Paris-they
| spend as much time as possible in London.
| and, as is usual. drive about as much as
| possible in order to see much as pos
sible. They come in large parties, and
| notice they have a high church-way scpa-
| rating the sexes. Thus you will meet a
| procession Of wagonettcs alternating a
load Of ladies with one of men, Some Of
the parties are very large, and there was
| round the town the other day party of
| sightseers who filled twcnty carriages.
The Hertford Collection.
All London has been fiocking to Hertford
House to see the magnificent "Hcrtford Col
| lection" which. by the generosity of Sir