The gold leaf., 1901-07-18

CuSScS the Etn(cS OF Loot.
What is to be thought Of a minister
Of the Gospel who defends the out
rageous robberies practiced upon the
natives Of China during the recent
troubles there? True, he does not
call it robbery or stealing, preferring
rather to term it "loot. and speaking
OF it as romantic system" with an
ethical side," and all that. But
honest folks have another name for
il. Read the following from the Nor
folk Public Ledger and then draw your
own conclusions:
Rev. Gilbert Reid is missionary
to China who believes in the practice
of robbing the natives in time Of war
to such an extent that he has written
an article in the Forum in its defense.
His article is entitled The Ethics of
Loot" but, as contemporary re-
marks, it is much loot and little or
no ethics. The reverend gentleman
speaks OF the romantic system Of
looting," which he thinks is very
pretty way Of Furnishing the Chinese
for having dared to defy the world
and insult mankind" and, as apollo
gizing for his small part in the rob-
berry, says that personally he regrets
that the guilty suffered so little at
his hands. If this is the light in
which clergymen view this practice
which has disgusted most people,
there is small wonder that SO many
stories have gone abroad Of how the
yellow man has been robbed, and
there has probably been no exaggera-
tion in the reports. Soldiers have
pillaged in all times, and it can be
understood how in the excitement
and frenzy of battle such things
might occur, but it is inconceivable
how it should ever be possible for q
minister of the Christian religion ever
to forget his sacred calling TO such an
extent.
Rev. Mr.. Reid not only has INDUCED
himself in this way, but hippantly
defends the outrageous practice.
Here, for instance, are some of the
! things which this holy man, sent to
turn the heathen from their evil ways.
says:
loot. Loot means spoils of war. II
there has been no war. looting may
be set down as wrong. II wrong
there has been, it has been in making
war. whether by the Chinese Imperial
Government or by the combined
troops of Europe, America and Asia.
and not in the incidental result of the
collection of spoils."
A little further on he remarks
that:
''To contscate the properly of those
who were enemies in war may he
theoretically wrong, but precedent
establishes the right"
And again:
For those who have known the
facts and have passed through a war
of awful memory, the matter OF loot
is only one OF high ethics"
Is there any wonder that the
Chinese decline to accept our civiliza-
tion and prefer their own religion to
what some such exponents as Mr..
Reid represent as ouIs? Such avowals
and such principles are shameful, and
it is difficult to understand how q
minister could hold such views and
give them expression in the public
prints. But this is not the first time
Mr.. Reid has defended looting The
New York Sun quotes him as having
written letter last March in which
be said:
Now and then | branched out to
loot from those who were our
enemies, and | only regret didn',
have more time to loot from such de.
spicable wretches, instead OF leaving
SO much to others, including not 9
few loot critics. II, however, those
from whom have looted want their
things back. let them meet me face tc
face and | will take the matter into
consideration
II is doubtful il the average Chinese
laundrvman would have less en-.
liyhtened code OF ethics