The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-12-17
AN INTERVIEW WITH CHING.
A Japanese Correspondent Writes of
nm IutCrcstinu E.uisOde

respondent of the Kobe (Japan) Chron
ic1e'' has had an interview with Primo,
Ching. OF the royal family. at Pekin. HI
writes entertainingly of the Chinese
statesman for his newspaper, copy o.
which has just reached this city
Prince Ching" he says. lis the one
hope Of peace just now" and continues:
He is the most enlightened member oil
the Tsungli- Yamen, or Board OF Foreign
Affairs, and while well known to be prac-
tically the head of the pro-foreign OF
open door party, and therefore highly I'M
popular in the anti-foreign excitement
which has swept the Chinese nation on to
outbursts of unprecedented violence. still
Ching has succeeded in keeping his head
on his shoulders and even maintaining
considerable influence. He must, there
fore. be classed as a clever man.
When the allied armies were nearing
Pekin there was hurried exodus from the
city Ching escaped with the rest, but did
not care to keep too near the general body
Of fugitives, as his pro-foreign tendencies
were liable to bring on him the desperate
fury of the other party at any time. He
therefore went with his own followers and
such of his troops as had not left him to
the northwest, heading for Kalgnn. the
nearest city on the line OF the Great Wall
so that, If necessary, retirement into the
wilds Of mongolia and Manchuria would be
easy. Finding that there was no pursuit
however he went no farther than Kalgan.
where in due course he was found by mes
sengers from the few officials who re-
that the noI.ce Was NOT being molested and
thot tho fora;,,,, ca,,,r,o,,iar, -, r.;,I;ra
To cease host,1;,,es II .ho ch;nosa wonto5
peace
"Ching prince of tho imner;aJ blood
has a ereat sense NJ dignity though he
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/. dasacr.t.d ,rd 100000 oo,;,., ,,.;,h
nm, ,,,,,oh tnss n,d Iro,. -. ,.a.
n anu e1ohs' uu' AZ iae'
NC eaie, escof'e" from the outpoSts'
uoHeh lniies away, by squadron Oh Jap
anese cavalry. lie proceeded In state to
MS own residence, the Ching wang-fu,
which literally means Ching-prince-p pal
ace. IL Is an ordinary Chinese mansion
OF good class, not by any means palatiaI
though It resembles the imperial palace
itself in dirt and unkemptness.
There he was soon visited by Sir Rob-
ert Hart. who As in this matter si1nply a
high Chinese official with a special knowI-
edge of the incomprehensible FOREIGNER.
The next visitor at the Ching wang fu was
your correspondent who was assured that
il was quite impossible tn interv;ew ,be
prince. But the impossibIe ALWAYS has a
of it's own A squad of jap
anese soldiers guarded the entrance ard
sternly waved the intruder away. but lie
breasted the wave with a few words of
Japanese, which so surprised the soldiers
that they stool aside and let him in.
THE interview was not with the prince
alone, but also with the princes ,jpe-
bearer fan bearer. teapot bearer and n
few other dignitaries. who remained in
the room and listened attentively 10 the
First. the prince replied politely to
courteous epuuiries about bie health .tter
the fatigues and worries of his Journey
and said he had been as far as Suan-hua-
III, the prefecture In which is Kalgan. oh.
no. he said. the Emperor was not there
but was - somewhere about a thousand
miles away in Shansi province. but he
lid not know what town. / was inclined
% doubt this, but it has since been COR
tolerated
i, Then he changed the subject BY asking
what newspaper was. for he had an idea
hat the poor little shee. called .shen-
rao' in China could not be the thing
.hough the word has to be used in inter
Dreting. or course. no Chinese army
would have a corps 81 .shen-pao' men at
ached to it. whereas no British army
,ould be without. or the nation would
protest forcibIy. So 7 told him .bout tho
press being the voice of the nation The
nightiest thing in the land and about tbe
.minent literary summarizes who devote
heir lives to II and he was intensely
surprised. / daresay he did mot beIievs
ne aid NOT beIieyo ,nvs.if ant;roI,.
hink I confused What ouch, 10 h.. ,.;th
hat is
1--WE conyersed a sood deal ,bou, rho
ituation but there is mn need 10 nr;nt !
II that now ne tho te,ogra,, nj, nil, -
mr. If al, ort of date nc - 80, @