Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1900-07-09
] WIlI.ASHBUlRN I ON CHINA
Deep Rooted Antipathy Of Chinese to
Changes in Government Causes the #
Present Trouble.
Have Long Viewed the Land Grabbing
Propensities Of Great Powers
With Suspicion.
Present War One Of Fanaticism and
Chinese More Dangerous than
SIOUX Indians.

sGl
E Minneapolis. July is.) s. -- In view of ex-
Senator w. d. Washburn's sojourn in 1
China three years ago, when he spent
some time in Peking, as well as in
Shanghai, Tien Tsin and other import
ant cities Of the empire, the senator is
the possessor Of much information 4
that is. especially interesting at this
critical stage. Speaking of the report
that the legations were safe July 3,
General Washburn said:
"I earnestly hope that such good
news is true, but cannot help but
feel that the worst has happened by
this time. To one who has been in
Pekin as recently as I have theanews
from there is fraught with special sig
nificance.S Though it was three years
ago last April that Mrs. Washburn
and myself visited Peking,I was un-f
comfortably impressed at that time
with the sense Of the danger to which
the legations would be exposed in the.
event Of an uprising OF the Chinese.
Thatsit would come so soon, Of course,
no.. one could predict, out that It was
inevitable was firmly impressed ?
d Senator Washburn said that the city
of Pekin was the filthiest, dirtiest ana
most disgusting city he had ever seen
in his life. There was only one hotel
fit for an American or European to live
in.3 s4 Va ;;s,
sThe streets Of Pekin, q ontinued the
senator, while not mere narrow paths
like those Of Shanghai, Tien Tsin and
others, as they are constructed on a
modern plan, are entirely destitute of
pavement, and sidewalks. Filth
abounds everywhere, while the disgust
ing practices and habits OF the natives
offend the senses on all sides. 32@
s" The; legations are all located on one
street and each is walled in. Once
you are inside any Of these compounds,
the entire aspect Of things changes as
you are surrounded with the signs OF
civilization. Within the German le-
cation, for instances, you might read
lily imagine you were walking, the
streets of Berlin, and so with the Brit
ish and United States legations.
While the walls would afford protec-
tion against an ordinary assault, they
would poorly Withstand bombardment
by heavy artillery ,..2 q 5-SSs.
Referring to the tremendous diff
Guilty Of moving an army across the
eighty miles of country stretching in
land from Tien Tsin to Pekin, Senator
Washburn said: Az ,$sHss +
This country, like the rest of the
empire, is entirely devoid of the slight.
est semblance Of roads or paths, 1t
is not hilly, but it. is sintersected and
irterlaced with a network of bitches.
rendering progress extremely slow and
laborious. And herein is seen the
motive Of the Manchu dynasty in Sc.
lecting this inland site for the location
OF the imperial city, Had Pekin been
situated on navigabIe body of water
accessible by ships this awful
slaughter could never have been per-
petrated." ;3..5i 5.t NJ
When V,hen asked tosexpress his views OF
the present situation in China and the
causes thereof Senator Washburn re-
piled: b;
The fundamental cause lies in deep
rooted antipathy Of the Chinese to any
change whatsoever in their govern
ment, their institutions, their manner
Of living and in their religion. They.
do not want railroads nor any Of the
other institutions allied to the ciyili-
zation Of the western world. Their.
system Of government is. one. Of rob
berry, from the emperor down to the
hl'umblest l'l coolie. The emperor exacts
an ormous sum from his viceroys for
their appointment, and the viceroys
levy big tribute from the andarins,
who, in turn, squeeze their Interiors.
| Thus II is the governing classes main.
tain their supremacy by this squeezing
process, and in the end the coolie pays
Tor Y All. Naturally the governing
classes strenuonsly object to anything
that threatens interference with or u
change in the existence order.
hila has long viewed with suspi-
Icion the attitude Of Great Britain, Ger
many, France and Russia, who have
long manifested q disposition to grad