Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-21

spelled Yeh, but which the foreigners pro-
nounce as though It were spelled Yea. He
was in charge OF the army at first. but. like
a large majority OF Chinese officials. there
was a certain attraction about his hands
which did not allow silver TO pass through
them Yeh became rich. but the soldiers
great defeat at Ping Yang. he was removed
to Pek!n and placed In the board OF punish
ment's large brick Enclosure. where it was
designed to remove his head from the rest
OF his anatomy; and another great gen.
eral,' Mich (the foreigners pronounce his
name as though 1t were spelled Nay), SUI
perseded him.
Generals Mich and Yuan Shih-kaf.
General Mich is a large, corpulent, good
natured looking man, with crowfoot wrin-
kles going from the corners Of his eyes to-
ward his ears. He is a good laugher. When
sitting he reminds one Of good st. Nicho-
las, of whom it is said that certain por-
ton Of his anatomy shook when he laughed
like bowlful of jelly
General Mich called on me on one occa-
sion at the summer resort at Pei Tai Ho.
about 200 miles east Of Pekin, on the sea-
shore bringing with him one of the other
generals and a number of his soldiers. They
were extremely polite. and the old general
proved to be the best kind of company. 1
have met him on other occasions when he
manifested the same genial disposition. He
is located at. Lu Tai. about seventy
eighty miles from Tien TSn, and seems to
have complete control of his soldiers and
had he been allowed to go on with his
treatment of the Boxers a few weeks ago
II would have saved the Chinese govern
ment a large amount of anxiety well as
great deal Of trouble and expense. Cen
eral Mich has always manifested a kind
disposition toward foreigners. and SO far as
l nave ever heard, there has never been any
trouble between his soldiers and the for
eign residents in Tong Tu or Tang Shang,
or, indeed, In any other part of the country
east OF Tien TSin and Pekin
A disposition similar to that Of Gen
Mich Is that Of Yuan Shih-kai My first
meeting with Gen. Yuan was in Corea
during the Chinese-Japanese war. Gen.
yuan was the Chinese representative at
the Corean capital at that time, and hap
pened to be there for a summer vacation
When the war broke out between the gov
ernments the vessels were all taken of the
line between Tien Tsin and ChemuIpo and
we were stranded in Corea. But an offer
came from the captain Of British cruiser
to carry all foreigners over to Chefoo
and Gen. Yuan was included among this
number. He is like Gen. Mich in his good
nature, and like him in his general under
standing Of the power of western govern
ments. When ex-Gov. Yu Hsen was re-
called Gen. Yuan was appointed to take
his place. He appointed his brother to take
charge OF his troops and at once he be-
gan to put down the Boxer movement, but
no sooner had this begun than the brother
was recalled by the empress dowager
This, of course, was proof positive that
the doWager was in sympathy with the
Boxers. Notwithstanding this, Gen. Yuan
has steadily gained control of things and
Is spoken OF very highly by those who are
In those disturbed regions. Some of the
leading missionaries write that lit is EVIL
all they can to put the movement down,
but In this they are not very heartily sec
onded by the civil authorities"
An Anti-Foreign General.
The most anttforeign general and one
who presents a direct contrast to the two
just described, is Tung Fuhsiang. This
general won hts reputation in Kansu, the
northwestern province, few years ago in
his battles with the Mohammedans then in
revolt. All his life he has been shut on
from intercourse with foreign governments
and knows absolutely nothing about their
power, the nature Of their arms and the
character CT their fighting ability. Because
ms army was able to put down the Moham-
medan rebellion. which was practically a
war between two rabbles, he supposes that
all this trouble with foreign devils is be-
cause OF Christianity, and SO he is not only
anti-forelgn, but especially anti-Christian.
His rabble incites fear among the natives
whether Christian or non-Christian wher-
ever he goes Only year or two ago when
II was known that he was about to come
down ABOUT the region of Pekin there was
general quaking among the country peo-
pie, and the most awful stories were told
about the cruelty of his men, and their dis
position to loot, to rob and to outrage the
women of the sections through which they
passed. The difference between his rab bible
and the armies of Mich and Yuan is an in
dicatlon OF the salutary influence their con-
tact with foreign soldiers and the repre-
sentatives of foreign governments has had
upon them.
1t was formerly the custom in times of
war for the Chinese to put to death any
general who was defeated in battle Not
only was he beheaded. but all the members
of his family suffered the same fate so
that history is full of incidents in which
the general when defeated took his own life
rather than return and subject all his
friends to such a sad fate. 1t was also the
custom in times of war to loot rob and out
rage at the will OF the soldiers, SO that dur
ing the Chinese-Japanese war many of the
better class of women had their poison all
ready to take In case the Japanese came
into the city. and many of them called upon
my wife to inquire as to the customs of
foreign soldiers at such times In which
case we were able to assure them that
there was reason to be afraid of the
Japanese. that they had nothing to fear
unless it was from the rabble or from Chi
nese soldiers.
Prince Tuan.
There is one other general who has re-
Gently become prominent. This is Prince
Tuan. who has charge of the imperial Man
chu troops at Pekin. He is the father Of
the heir apparent. and the son of the fifth
prince, as he has always been called. He is
said to be one of 1.-THE most warlike of all
the imperial princes. IL not the most war
like, but the stand he has taken with the
conservative party, which. of course was
forced upon him by the fact that his son
was chosen by the empress dowager as the
successor of Kuang Hsu. has Placed him in
very unfavorable light before the world.
1t is said that the large majority of his
troops Joined the Boxers in the neighbor-
hood Of Pekin. and 1t was this fact that
made the Boxer movement so strong and so
successful in that neighborhood. There is
no doubt that he was, like the empress
dowager. in sympathy with them. and 1t
was probably through his influence that
General Mich was rebuked when his SOL
i zfiIIIh-