Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-07-03
THE CHINESE SIDE OF THE CASE

That China has virtually declared
war upon the nations represented on
her soil by missionaries, business
firms, contractors, or other forms of
peaceful invasion, is scarcely to be
doubted in the light of the news COM
ing from day to day. Much blood has
been spilled, and more will flow. The
coalition of the powers will enforce
upon China the proper penalty in due
course of time, and work to that end
must go forward.
But are the Chinese utterly and
wholly at fault? There are two sides
to every story, and the Chinese grev-
ance is thus partially presented ly
that close observer, careful student
and noted newspaper writer, w e.
Curtis, in the Chicago Record:
You may notice by the dispatches that
there are railroad riots in the Shantung
province; that the Belgian and German
railway engineers have been assaulted
and are afraid of assassination and that
work has been suspended on certain
portions of the line now under construc-
tlOH L nave alluded 10 this matter be-
fore, and while no one can justify assas-
sination or approve the cowardly methods
which the boxers have adopted to revenge
themselves upon the foreign devils"
that have invaded their country they can
at least plead extraordinary provocation
for the Germans and the Belgians who
are constructing railroads in the Shan
tung province have treated the natives in
a most abominable manner and have nro-
voked the riots of which they now COM
plain That portion of China is one of
the most densely populated sections of
the earth. and the people have a desper-
ate struggle for existence Every inch Of
ground is cultivated; every straw and
every sprig of vegetation is utilized in
country is divided into little farms. which
are cultivated almost with a microscope
one might say, because it Is necessary
for the subsistence of some family, and
where nothing can grow
Through this country and under these
conditions railways are being constructed
by the German and Belgian eneineers
who show most brutal Indifference to
the rights and the property of the people
They run their lines across the farms
they tear down houses. burn villages. de-
stroy crops, seize supplies impress labor
and treat the people in the most cruel and
arbitrary manner If the same thing
should occur in the United States or in
Europe, or in any other part of the
world they would be attended by the
same results. The boxers were organ
lied to resist and revenge these outrsges
and they use the only means within their.
power to punish their oppressors A Chi
naman never gets any sympathy either in
America or elsewhere. and the Conscious
ness of that fact compels him to carry
on his operations with as great secrecy
as possible. If the German and Belgian
railroad people would treat the poor cool
lie farmers of the Shantung province in
a just and honorable manner, and give
them fair compensation for the proner-
ty they have taken or DESTROYED. there
would be no need of sending fleets TO
the Chinese waters or demanding indem-
nifty at the Tsung Lii Yamen."
As Mr., Curtis well remarks. how
long would one be European ma
lions stand "a OF thing? For
how many mo Tears would the
United States under an In