The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-07-15
He TALKS Of CHINA
Colonel Charles P. Lincoln
of Washington, Formerly
U. S. CONSUL AT CANTON
Gives Description of Chinese
and Present Trouble.

Colonel and Mrs. Charles P. Lincoln OF
Washington, D. c., are the guests OF
Judge and Mrs. T. B. Wall at their home
on St. Francis avenue. Colonel Lincoln
is a prominent lawyer in Washington
and for six years was at Canton, China,
He served there during the Grant and
Hayes administrations and is very famil-
lar with the habits Of the average China
man.
Colonel Lincoln was seen yesterday by
a reporter for the Eagle and to him
talked of the general situation in China
at the present time. He said: There
was no such organization when I was
in China as the Boxers, but there was al
ways a general hostility to the foreign
missionaries. The have always had an
i'll feeling toward them and considered
them as intruders. This was very nat
ural, though, as their strange religious
views were interfered with and ii seemed
rather strange to the Chinese to have
their religion, which had been common
for so many years, to be transplanted
with something entirely different. Under.
the treaty stipulations then as now, the
missionaries have certain rights which
the officials have been diligent in recog-
nizing but it is impossible for them to
control the masses The missionaries
have always had a desire to increase
their territories and for this reason very
often went out into the country where
foreigners were rarely ever seen. They
usually set up small chapel and estab-
lished a dispensary and attempted cures
which were entirely new TO the Chinese.
1t is very easy to create a disturbance
there as the natives are very easily
aroused and IL is not an unusual thing
to have damaging riots. In my estima
ton from what I know of the situation
there at the present time, this affair has
not been brought on entirely by the mis-
sionaries. OF course this was one cause,
but the attitude of the foreign powers
in a very great degree brought the mat
ter to the present crisis. The other ma
tons have been, more severe than the
United States, although our country has
every been ready to protect rights. Of
her citizens in that country.
China is not entirely governed by the
Chinese. Many years ago the empire was
conquered by the Manchurians, or Tar
tars and at the present time they have
more or less control there. In many Of
the offices Chinese are not appointed for
fear that in their official positions they
will instigate an instruction. Because
of this dividing of the offices their has
been and is at this time an undercur-
rent of hostility against the government.
There are eighteen provinces in China
and there are two distinct dialects.
There is an official dialect, but this is
only spoken by the officials and The lit
erary people of the empire. The writ
ten dialect is just the same over the diff
erent provinces.
The Chinese are a conceited people and
most of them imagine that China is the
entire world. They have the idea that
the other nations amount to nothing and
that they are superior to everyone. They
are very superstitious and the building
Of railroads and telegraph systems has
aroused their hostility They claim that
it intereferes with Feng Shen, the Spirit
of Wind and Water.
The Chinese are very industrious and
are never idle. They are reliable in bus
mess although they resort to the little
schemes and plans to accumulate wealth
such as merchants do in this country.
The merchants are usually very cordial
to the Americans with whom they trans
act business and are generally found to
be straightforward in their dealings.
! The key to the present situation in
China is whether the legation has been
injured. If such has been the case the
powers will interfere and the empire will
probably be divided. The southern part
of the empire has not been mixed in this
affair and VIII probably retain their pres
/ ent government.