The evening times., 1900-07-12
CHINAMEN NOT ANXIOUS
Those in Washington Uneoneerned
About the Oriental Crisis.
Some of the Merchants Seem Most Az
the Price OF Tcn-LaundrymenW Who
Have Not Heard of the Present
Trouble ina the Celestial Empire.


Gle. who have adopted the United States as
their temporary home end the city of
Washington as the Dest place in which to
earn a livelihood, 10 say nothing OF laying
aside a sufficlen. 81 n to enable them to re-
turn to the Orient. there to spend the bal
ance of their lives in luxurious ease, do
not seem in the least perturbed by the
alarming situation that has developed in
their native land
trip through Washington's Chinatown,
which is that portion of Pennsylvania Ave
nue. Immediately adjacent TO Four and-a-
half Street, by a reporter for The Times
brought TO light wonderful amount of alb
solute indifference on the part of these
former residents Of the Flowery Kingdom.
Many of them hardly knew th1t any dis
turbance, outside of few small riots, had
occurred. and as to the killing of the for
eign ministers in Pekin but few of them
had heard Of it, and those few had little to
say on the subject for they appeared to
dread 10 talk OF the Boxers, Of whom they
seem to have great fear.
The section of the city known as China
town is lined with little shops where tea
and other Chinese merchandise are sold,
not alone to the Chinese but 10 many
Americans, who imagine that tea sold by
a Chinaman must of necessity be better
than that sold by the American grocer.
There are also a number of laundries side
by side, in each Of which may be found
from two TO five Celestials, and N some Of
them there are even more.
We'll. John. don't you know that Presi-
dent Mckinley has ordered that every Chi
naman in Washington shall be deported ,
before Saturday nght?" remarked a caller |
a laundry this
Collar, cent; cuff, cent; shirtee !
10 cent, the droll reply
But IL is a fact, John, you had better
get out Of the city"
You get ticket. else glet out here
with play. l no time 10 fool: | washee
washee, and he went on complacently
blowing water from his mouth upon a shirt
bosom which he was deNteruusly polish
ing with a fiat iron.
The next Celestial to be questioned on
the subject Of the grave troubles in the
Orient was a short portly little fellow l
Hop ChOng by name. He IS the proprietor
OF a shop where the best Chinese tea could /.
be purchased for the very small price of !
40 cents a pound before the troubles in /
China began. He was not in a very happy /.
frame of mind and this was due entirely I.
to the fact that the merchant from whom I.
he purchased his supplies had put the /
price up on him. and his fellOw-cOuntry- /
men could not understand why il was
necessary for him TO raise the price cor /
respondingly in his sales. #,
When told that there was war in China |
he replied:
Afraid of the boxers.
What for they put plice high on tlea?
Ne no got to do with kilIe Melicans- Ne I,
no bIeen China fl year. Me no go back d !
year mo. Me sell tIea, me make money;
put plice tlea high me make Ill money
Ne no lillee alice samee. Ne no hghtee;
me peeseful man alice timee. Me kOme
fom sou;hee China
He was asked what he thought of the
Outrages perpetrated by the Boxers. and
the slaughter Of the foreigners in Pekin.
Me faid talk about Boxers Ne no
nothing blOut en- They muchee sclarce !
my part klountry. VANITY buy tlea, nice
tlea, fifty cent pOuud?"
He expressed the opinion that those
Cinnamon IN Washington who behaved
themselves would come 10 no harm should
real hostilities break out and appeared per- |
fectly satisfied that he would receive pro-
lection al the hands of his "hends Fleece /
men,
Moy Song. who IS one OF the more prs.
tentiOuo merchants, has been in the United Z
States some twenty years, during which I
time he has not alone learned TO speak the .
English language. but has learned TO read 4
il and he appeared to have kept up with .
the Chinese situation from the beginning.
lie at first appeared quite reticent when
asked for an expression Of his views on the /
subject Of the troubles in China, but when 4
pressed he consented to talk. His views
coincide closely 20 those expressed by Wu /
Tlng-fang, the Chinese Minister. whom MOy
Song seemed to admire greatly and for
whom ne evidently had the greatest
respect and a deep regard.
AS translated into readable English Moy
Song said:
The American people generally do not
appear to understand the situation in Chi
ma. They have an idea that it is the Chi /
nese Government that is solely responsible |
for the murder of the Ministers and other 1
foreigners in Pekin and the massacre of |
the native Christians Such is far from 1
the truth 1t has in my judgment. al /
ways been the wish Of the Government as
a Government TO protect all foreigners
within the Empire. no matter what some
Of the officials may have felt as individuals.
OF course, some OF the Princes and Vice
roys are opposed 10 Christianity and any
change in the established religion and Gus
toms Of the people in China and they un-
doubtedly use secret efforts TO put a stop !
to the work Of the missionaries and en-
courage the work of the Boxers. whose
name is legion and who are in every way
opposed to the Empress and her Govern
ment.
Now that they appear to have gotten
in control TO a large extent. it seems quite
natural that some OF the officials who have |
secretly worked against what you term
modern civilization should come out open
ly and make a strong effort TO enforce
their wishes.
Then again YOU must make a compari-
son TO understand how the Chinese feel !
about Christian missionaries They have
been followers Of Confucius for thousands
of years and are perfectly satisfied. Yet
the people Of the United States send mis-
sionaries to China and the natives are
taught about Christianity and at the same
time offered a number OF different roads by
which II must be reached, each one claim
Ing that his road is the only true one. How
can they be expected to believe?
suppose China should send missionaries
TO convert the people of the United States
10 Confucius. how long would they be toll
Grated? They would not even be allowed
TO land in this country. Why YOU don't
even like proselyting among yourselves
But few months ago l remember having
read that Two MOrmons were driven out |
Of Virginia just opposite Washngtou-this
under the very eaveE of the Capital of tnr
Nation How, then, can you blame the
Chinese III thew raise a riof |