The Washington weekly post., 1900-12-04

weakened.
missionaries Demand Punishment.
There IS, however. another voice de-
manaing troops aud demanding-one can
not say reprisal-but punishment, and II
is a voice more potent and more far
reaching. II is the voice Of the mission
AIRY, and from his vleE point, there IS.
perhaps, work yet TO do for the allied
armies. Yet. when the yastness OF a
campaign Of punishment for missionary
massacres is contemplated; when It's far-
reaching and disastrous effect Il seen.
even these self-sacrifcing and brave men
and women are beginning to realize II IS
not wise no. practicable. IL the worid
wants peace and settled conditions IN
China, the fighting must cease. IL each
far village. where missionary blood was
shed, is TO be punished, the Ministers al
Pekin may as we'll go south for the win
ter. or back to their homes. and II VIII
be a big job for even the big army now
here There should be no question OF
reprisal or revenge now: China has sui
fered. The commerce of this great and
rich province OF Chilli has been paralyZed,
the rich city OF Tientsin laid in ruins, and
looted, and Pekin, the capital, has suffer-
ed as few capitals in the history or the
worlds wars. Millions of taels will not
cover the losses there; they can never De
estimated. and even a greater blow has
been struck in the occupation OF the
Sacred City. Thousands of people have
perished. not even a guess can be made at
the real number for In the villages. no at
tempt at a count was ever made. ana
hundreds of once populous villages in
the PeihO Valley are now deserted ana
crumbling ruins
The demand of the missionary Is natur-
al. He sees the labor of years, the blood
OF good men and women, and great treas
ure expended in vain-or, at least, with
far less profit than he had builded upon
Before him lies a new China. TO be re-
conquered for the cross: added dangers.
more sacrifices. and greater obstacles 10
be met and surmounted. But paving his
new field with torch and sword will not
lessen his task. and the reaction Of feel
ing, which is bound 10 ensure, probably
will relieve the situation OF this COM
pIicated phase The missionary interests
in China are enormous. and the losses, not
only in life, but in real property as welI'
have been great They have also been
severely taxed in Tientsin by the large
number of natives made dependent upon
them by the trouble The native Chris
tians sought refuge in the various mission
compounds, and until the return OF COM
parativeiy normal conditions and a de-
mand for labor. they were heavy drain
on the slender missionary treasury. The
authorities have also been indebted to
missionary sources for much of the mea-
ger news from the interior, which has
come in through native Christians, who
escaped the massacres at various points,
and worked their way across country.
At the same time. not too much credence
can be placed in news from native sources,
as experience has taught. The average
Chinaman. either through not being clear
" understood or from an inherent desire
to be picturesque to the point Of exag-
geration, is apt TO get facts distorted, and
much allowance is made by people who
know them for this phase of the national
character.
Habit of Exaggerati0B.
Curiously enough this habit is not con-
fined TO the native. Europeans and Amer
leans acquire or contract ii after GER
tain residence Perhaps ii is the absence
of quick communication, the lack of
knowledge of outside conditions; but
whatever may be the cause, IL exists.
One cannot accept without investigation
the statement of the Orientalized ocei-
dental He does not mean to mislead. nor
does he lie Intentionally. but the painful
fact remains that If half the stories, ru-
mors. and reports, which float nightly
about the German Club. the Tientsin Club,
or the lobby of the hotel are true, we are
all to be murdered before morning by
various Boxer armies from various points
of the compass. CarewOrn parties draw
one aside and ask in anxious whispers Ii
il is true that Ting g-Ling-a-Ling' army,
or LoO-Ting's cavalry, is advancing on
Pekin Have you heard of the German
repulse or the French defeat? Is ii true
Canton has risen? These are only sam
pies When the garrison slid out OF the
Pehtang forts over night and the Ger
mans and Russians marched comfortably
in, a wild-eyed man from up Tung-ChaO
way, was making anxious inquiries as to
the losses When he heard the story he
took a tall brandy and soda, and braced
I'D enough TO explain that ne had heard
the allies had been repulsed with great
losses, and that the Chinese were attack
ing Taku and hoped to recapture the
forts. Wireless telegraph reports of hard
fighting here and there, no one now pays
the least attention 10, and the average
American or European is beginning TO re-
quire affidavits for any statement what
ever.
Meantime while gloomily predicting
fighting when the winter sets in, the
prophets themselves are bringing back
their families from Nagasaki, Yokohama,
and other places of refuge Dinner par
ties are frequent, dress clothes are begln-
ming to supplant cords and khaki for
evening wear, a swagger dray now and
then scatters coolies and soldiers on Vic
toria road. and pretty faces under silk
riding hats smile approval at Count Won
Waldersee's reviews Of the allies. Out in
the infield of the race course, swept by
shot and shell a few short months ago,
polo is played three afternoons a week,
and in the clubs is hung the announce
ment of the fall race meeting.
Count Won WaIdersee.
Each afternoon the field marshal. Count
Won Waldersee, rides out with his glitter
ing staff or returns calls in a high-sWung
victoria, drawn by four spanking and
perfectly-matched black American mules,
over which a swagger soldier holds the
reins, and an escort of lancers brings up
the rear.
The count has changed but little since
the days when Washington drawing
rooms saw his erect military figure and
genial face. The upturned mustaches are
a bit grayer. he is a wee bit more portly,
but years sit lightly on him. and he does
not stand for the sixty-eight winters he
is credited with
There is little In Tientsin these brilliant
autumn days 10 remind one Of war, save
the uniforms and the spattering shots
from sentries at night No one knows al
what they are shooting, but IL is thought
the sen..1es get lonesome and like the
noise. Now and then they bag a coolle or
a dog. One Is halted In eight languages
late at night, and the voice Of the sentry
is good index OF the part Of town. Up
in the French concession one hears the
qui yive, and passes down the line
through all the known tongues. But Il is
all form. for the Boxers are safe in bed
after a hard days work for the conquer