Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-07-28

+
Z Display of Force Would Set Every
thing Right, Now They Foresee
Endless Fighting.
New YORK, July 23.- Special J.
Naturally the capital of the nation is
the center Of interest with regard to
the Chinese question from the diplo-
matte. warlike and legislative view
points, but from certain other view
points the interest here in what is go
ing on in the far orient is quite as di-
rect and intimate, for it is here that
the missionary headquarters of two
great evangelical denominations - the
Presbyterians and the Methodists-ar
located
The Methodist Book Concern and the
Presbyterian building, both situated
on Fifth avenue, are therefore points
from which much information concern
ing the changing situation is gathered,
and at this time both these mission
headquarters are visited almost as reg
ularly by reporters and correspondents
as political headquarters are in the
height of a political campaign.
a Change of Attitude.
The change of attitude toward the
Chinese on The part of some of the re-
turned missionaries is almost pathetic.
At the beginning of the Boxer out
break nearly all who had spent some
time in China agreed that the disorders
would soon blow over, provided the
Christian nations were to send a few
ships to Chinese waters and land a
few troops on Chinese soil. Unless
this were done, they agreed, there
might be serious results, but the yell
low men of the Celestial empire would
soon lose all their courage at sight of
small number of war vessels and a
limited force of fighting men.
Why" said one very prominent pro-
fesSor in a Peking institution of learn
ing, the Chinaman is nothing but a
human sheep. He will bully and blus-
ter when lie is sure that no opposition
is to be expected, but let there be the
least show Of force, and he will run
away like a scared rabbit. There is
nothing more c0mical than the sight
of lot Of Chinese soldiers drilling
They have no idea of discipline, they
do not know how to aim their guns,
and they are so superstitious that the
fight of a bird which they believe of
evil omen over an advancing army
would be sufficient to cause the turn
ing and flight of thousands of armed |
men in a very panic of fear
Besides. they have no arms worthy |
of the name, and what they do possess |
are useless. All China is honeycombed |
with corruption, and, in my opinion, it
would be hard to find any number of
big guns in any of the Chinese forts
that are in condition to be fired You
see, the soldiers and even the officers
in charge of the fortitications are in
the habit of stealing parts of the
breach mechanism of the guns and !
selling them for old metal.
"-All that is required to put China in
good order and that quickly, is for the !
Christian nations to make very mod !
crate display of force"
1t is hardly necessary to say that |
this man has changed his views most |
radically within the past few days.
He now agrees, with many others, that
the troubles of the past few weeks are
as nothing to what may be expected in
the future. and his horror at the stu
alton is excessive. because the victims
include number of his closest friends
and acCWaintances 1t may be added
that. Ike most returned missionaries,
this man, whose name it would not be
fair to mention, is strongly in favor of
naval and military operations in China
on a gigantic scale
1.-The Chinese must now he taught a
most drastic lesson" he says, "or it
will be impossible for foreigners to
step foot safely in China for genera
tons"
New Works Cinnamon.
Down to date the Cinnamon of New
York have made no visible sign that
they are taking any great interest in
what may be the beginning of the
greatest race war in the history of the
world. Nor have there been any very
serious demonstrations of hostility to-
ward the resident sons of the Flowery
Kingdom on the part of the New York
toughs, though for precautionary pur-
poses special police protection of
Chinatown has been organized. In
fact. persecution of the Cinnamon in
,bio town nv tho rouqhpr clements has