The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-09-04
"The Foreign Devils. :"


in some OF the stories that are told of
looting and outrage in China by por-
lions OF the troops constituting the
army OF occupation, the Chinese express
sion. ''those foreign devils" might not
be so great misnomer after all. Shock
ing reports have been transmitted Of the
excesses Of the Russian soldiery in par
ticular. They are charged with indis-
criminate plundering and equally indis-
| crlminate murder. Some OF the atroci-
ties detailed are as horrible as could be
matched in the practice OF the Chinese
| themselves. and suggest the bloodiest
| episodes OF the Indian wars in our earli-
err history. II these tales were substan-
tiated, civilization would need to cover
her head in shame and take no thought
of a new order in China until she had
one to propose that was better than the
old
Fortunately, we are fully warranted
In disbelieving me circumstantiai ac-
count of these excuses. for we know
that the long bow was drawn with
free hand on the other side little
while ago. 1t having been established
that similar tales sent out within the
last six weeks rejecting upon the Chi
nese were strictly works of the imagin-
alton. we have right to suspend judg-
ment on the nations of Europe until the
real facts can be ascertained. Excellent
as 10 the news service OF the Associated
Press. 1t has one or more correspondents
in China who are sorely In need Of a
vacation for life. They are given to the
yellowest form of sensationaiism, par
ticdiarly In the line TO which we have
referred. At present. news OF this type
from China has to be taken with a
grain OF salt.
Readers Will recall the minute de-
scrIptions sent out OF the death OF
Americans In Peking. and the cruelties
practced on Europeans. Foreigners had
been boiled In oil and done to death
with other Incidents OF fiendish torture
Not one word OF this has been found
true. Again there was a heart-rending
story about the time Of the first advance
that sent a thrill OF wrath through all
Christendom. 1t was to the effect that
when Admiral Seymour. after an en-
gagement In which his men suffered
severely. found II necessary to fall back,
he ordered that all the wounded men be
shot to keep them from falling into the
hands OF the Chinese. And this was
done not only with their consent, but as
a concession to their pleading Again
we find that 10 have been fairy story
OF a very despicsble kind. The instances
are so thoroughly parallel and the re-
ports OF European soidiery using In
offensive Chinese as targets for rifle
practice. and Cossacks dash,ng out the
brains OF Chinese infants by beating
their heads against stones, bear so
plainly the marks OF the same hand
that II il much more reasonable TO re-
| iect than 10 accept them. II IL dis
graceful, however. II they are pure fab
relations. rs their forernnners were.
that they should be sent out az all.
/, is more than probable. It seems 10
be the consenting testimony % many
witnesses. that there has been a great
deal Of looting in China by SOME Of the
troops In service there There is no
such reflection upon the American sol
diers. but they are. on the contrary. ex-
| plicitly excepted from The charge. Bat
there Is too much reason to fear that II
VIII lie asainss some OF tho others. The
invasion % an enemy's country. when
| that enemy has been guilty OF a wanton
and pnprovosed attack. when he Is
helpless. when his cities contain treas
ures that invite iooting. and when there
Is an absence OF the centralized power
necessary TO strict military discipline.
| tends 70 outrRges OF this kind. And the
first enort 81 every commander should
Dc ,o see that they ara steruly sup
I Isessea
There are two duties which should be
always psvsen, 70 every ofnceg serving
IN China. One he o~es 10 the people q
that country, The vast majority ~
them have committed no overt act Of
hostility against any other power The
outraEes % the BOXERS are ln no sense
Z their fault; and while the nation as a
7 whole must carry the responsibility aud
pay the hili & is cruel and criminal TO
visit punishment on helpless individu-
ais Besides. e ts upon the impression
which they set by actual contact ma,
the Chinese VIII base their oplnioa Of
the men whom they have elsssed
vaguely as foreign devils 1t VIII in
no wise advance their interests or 9TH