The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-18
oR1ENTALs HATE ENJOYS.
n Asia and Africa Foreign Consuis
Are Not Sacred.

From the New York Tribune)
Murders of ENJOYS and Imprisonment as
we'll az torture of consular officials have
signalized the earlier stages of nearly
every conflict between the Western pow
ers and the races of Asia and Africa Inc
fate. therefore, OF the foreign diplomats at
Pekin should excite no surprise. western
civilization teaches that the duty Oh pro-
yiding for the safety OF foreign ENJOYS
and of bearers of flags of truce, as well
as of assuring their immunity from all
harm and indignity, constitutes the most
sacred of the obligations that govern IN
ternational intercourse.
The civilization, such as 1t is, OF the
various Asiatic and African powers makes
no such provision. and il certain degree
of protection is accorded by them to rep
resentatives OF European and American
Governments 1t is due rather to fear
of retaliatory measures than to any ques-
ton of principle or acceptance of high
flown ideas on the subject. This is only
natural when it is considered that the
Mohammedan religion and other Eastern
creeds expressly teach that no obligations
are binding where Christians are concern
cd The Orientals are blind. therefore. to
the mantle Of inviolability with which the
West considers diplomatic officials to be
invested They reganl the ENJOYS OF the
Western Governments as mere foreign
devils" and entitled, in consequence there
of. not to their respect, but to their ao-
borrence and contempt. the hatred being
intensified by the fact that the emssaries
are made the channel OF every objectiona-
bic claim and pretension on the part oil
the powers of the Occident
The consequence of this is that whenever
an Oriental or African potentate becomes
involved in war with Western nations he
takes no steps for the safe conduct OF the
ENJOYS out of his country. but either i'm
prisons them and puts them to death him
self or else by Withdrawing all protection
delivers them over to the tender mercies
of his subjects TO be massacred. 1t is a
mistake. however. to believe that these
outrages upon diplomatic and consular Of
ficials have constituted the origin OF each
war with Oriental nations.
The murders OF the foreign representa-
tives have usually followed some provoca-
ton on the part of enc or more OF the
Western Governments, and then the inno-
cent have suffered with the guilty, that is
to say, guilty from an Oriental point of
view, for in the eyes OF the dusky races all
white men are of kind. no distinctions
being recognized and ii is owing to this
that the United States envoy at Peilin.
DESPITE, the fact that his country has had
tory along the Pacific Coas, line. has new
ertheless been subjected to the same fate
as the representatives OF those European
powers which have taken a leading part in
the ACKNOWLEDGMENT of the Celestial En-
pire.
In conclusion 1t may be pointed out that
all of the former European wars with
China as well as those OF England with
Persia and Afghanistan, and OF Greece
with Turkey. have begun without any for
NAL declaration OF war. The present con-
fct with China bids fair TO be no excep-
ton to the rule. In fact, the war between
Turkey and Greece was almost over be-
fore anybody dreamed Of sending the
Turkish Minister at Athens about his Dusi-
ness. Wars nowadays are usually begun
By some act of hostility on the part of
either the armed forces or the citizens CT
a nation and it is not until the Govern
ment accepts or disclaims responsibility
for these acts that the question of the ex-
istence of a state Of war can be decided.