The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-07-17
REFORNERS IN shanghai
EMULATE THEIR BRETHREN IN
HONOLULU.
Hold Big Meeting and Appeal to the
Powers to Establish Strong Central
Government.

Rev. r. w. Thwing, pastor of the
Chinese church in Honolulu, takes a
very keen interest in the stirring affairs
now going on in China He labored
there for eight years as missionary,
and hence has a knowledge of the con-
ditions there that throws much light on
what would otherwise be obscure In the
press dispatches.
Speaking of the mass meeting of Chit
nese in Honolulu Saturday night, he
says:
at is interesting to note that the
Chinese in China have taken similar
steps to secure Americas aid. The re-
formers are in force in Shanghai. Lat
est reports from there tell of a recent
meeting of the Reform party At that
meeting there were representatives
from fourteen out of the eighteen prov
inces of China. Leading members drew
up petition addressed to the govern
ments of Great Britain and the United
States and Japan, asking them, first, to
unite to oppose any division of the en-
pire; second, to use their efforts to res
cue His Majesty the Emperor Kwhng
Hsu and third to help select a new
capital where the Emperor may be sur
rounded by enlightened advisors, and
real reform be carried out
"They claim that the large part of
the people would gladly submit to
Kwang Hsu as their rightful emperor,
and accept reforms at his direction. To
them it seems the only way to avoid
great suffering and bloOdshed. and
make China a new and progressive ma
ton; credit to herself and benefit to
the world.
"The quick way Admiral Seymour
responded to the call for aid in Picking,
is a lesson in itself. The messages
which came from PelSing and caused
the relief column under Admiral Sey-
mOur to start, were somewhat like
these: % Be ready to send large force
promptly; 90 make preparation for In
slant landing; go send at once or you
will be too late. This word reached
Taku at p. m. Admiral Seymour had
a signaling party on shore and the stil
ring words We're flashed at once to the
fleet. Quick work was done. By am.
a force of 1,570 men of all nationalities,
with three days ratiOns was on shore,
and at the railroad station. They were
fully equipped with arms, field guns,
machine guns, etc. Before a. m. they
were all in the train under the COM
mand of the British admiral, and in
another hour were off. This was all
done openly and with the declared in
tention of going to Picking, Boxers or
no Boxers, Chinese willing or not Will
ing. They expected but few days
work, and that any opposition would
quickly be overcome. 1t would have
been so if only Boxers opposed them.
But with the government and regular
soldiers taking part with the Boxers, it
has proved a very different matter.
And they were glad to safely reach
Tientsin again, after most severe fight
ing
ITO many it is not clear who these
Boxers are The fact is they are really
an Offshoot of a very old organization
called the Society of the Great sword
or more commonly, Big Knife Soc. The
center of this organization is at Chin
Kiang and along the Grand Canal, not
far from the southern capital of Nam
king. Their aim is to overthrow the
dynasty. Whenever a Big Knife man
is found, off goes his head.
1.-THE Picking government is strongly
against all the huis or societies. For
this reason since the anti-fOreign feel
ing has been growing, largely on ac
count of the large slice of territory talk
en- by the Germans, the Big Knives of
Shantung changed their name to the
Righteous and Harmonious Fists
Their claim was to protect the people
and turn out the foreigners.
Having changed their name and eE
pressed their intention to rid China of
all foreigners, they have received much
encouragement and support from the
very anti-foreign government at Pek
ing. At first in a disguised and under
hand way, but of late much more OPEN
ly. 1t is this real government support
that has made the Boxer rising so
serious"