The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-07-21
AN ENGLISHMAN,S VIEWS.
Member of Parliament Thinks the
Conger Message an Old One.

AeNh 'hNsSASc an OlO One
James Roche, a distinguished English
man, and Z Member Of Parliament, who
has been IN extensive traveller in China
and who i: new in Washington. said today,
in commenting upon the Chinese situa-
ton:
Il place no eredenee ia the authenticity
of the message purporting to have been
sent by Minister Conger The cabIegram
nay be a message written some time ago
by your representative. ard now resurrect-
ed 10 serve the purpose of the wiley Chi
nese- l am considerable OF a globe trot-
ter and / have been in China twiee-the
FIRST time in 1892 and again in 1894, repre-
senting officially, the London Board OF
| Trade.
Patrick Hart, a British Consul in China
at the time. and a brother of Sir Robert
Hart was my escort in quite an extern
sive tour of the country. The Chinese
| who are seen in this country belong to
| southern China, and are known as Coolies.
| They are of a class who are willing 10 do
| anything &C go anywhere. In northern
! China the natives are entirely different.
/ You would not recognize them as the
same race. Many of these people are six
/ ANtN Va AlNlt III uraEuL anu OF me pug
| cal proportions. In this part of the cOun-
| try the Boxers belong. Ii Hung Chang
| has bodyguard OF which no member is
under five feet ten inches in height.
| These men are the same as those which
| form the Black Flag Army. and who gave
| the French such a warm discussion in Ton
| kin. The Boxers are semi-relgious po-
litical sect. They have their own gods
whom they worship with various peculiar
. hn- a hot ID .rrs f~e-
| the foreign white devils
! China is in a different condition for
/ hOstilities than was the case three years
| ago when conquered by the japanese.
/ Arms in great quantities have been sold
! 20 China About fifteen months since 100
OCO Mauser rifles Of 1895 pattern. excellent
guns, but Of a large calibre. discarded by
! the German Government for guns of a
! smaller bore, were purchased and resold
to China. Krupp, the great German man
ufacturer Of cannon, has sold 10 the Chi
nese Government vast number Of rapid
/ fire guns. Of a pattern which were ante
/ dated by only the most recent improve
ments. Ammunition fortunately is scarce.
/ and that fact should prove a saving factor
/ in the present situation.
| The present difficulties az due to the
| missionaries and concession hunters. The
1 missionaries are an invidious class who
! lytes and the pagan Chinese The CathO-
! lie Sisters are to be excepted from this
! charge Their energies are directed to-
! ward tie furtheranCe Of sanitary condi-
I tions among the natives rather than 10
converting them 20 Christianity. They
/ teach the Chinese the value Of cleanliness
| IL their persons and in the community
The road from TienJsin 10 Pekin is now
I beset with diGncUiJies- There is no high
/ way 10 the Imperial City. and the rivers
I have swollen and flooded the country. The
railroads have ell been torn up. and their
repair affords the only possible means Of
reaching the caD!tsi- The river is una
valuable for travels II winds in and out
and in distance OF eighty miles the in
I tricacies OF its course are so many that
7 fully $50 miles would De travelled in fol-
[ loving the stream Advance from Ten
! tsin 10 Pekin could not be accomplished
under ten days from the start Of troops
Sir Robert Hart has many friends
among the mandarins. There are many OF
the maudarins behind the walls Of Pekin
/ who are friendly 10 the foreigners Hart
/ could protect any nunIber Of the men BY
concealiEg them within the houses Of his
Chinese friends. II would be impossible.
I however, 10 disguise the women. The
men ALI not leave the women, and il Is
TO i- U.esamed that all are together II still
a"vr wherever the legations are making
Cheir defence.
III tie war OF 1857. 70 1860, when Great
Britain and France attacked and invested
the for-s az Taku. the Chinese retaliated
by Tlassacring all Europeans in China.
| There were few legations in Pekin az that
time. Canton was the centre Of trade and
semi-sea o. government. Sir Robert
Hart. the late Lord Hart. formerly gov
ernor Of the Capes and Sir Harry Parks.
-..-U was 81 the time British Minister in
China. were The only foreigners who es-
capped death They, however. were seized,
and imprisoned in cages Of such dimea-
s:ons TIA; their bodies were doubled UP in
the cramped quarters They were carried
about China from town TO town In this con
ditIon and exposed TO the tauuts and exc
CvaJiOEs of the excited popuIace."