Omaha daily bee., 1901-01-24
MILITARY EXCEssEs IN CHINA.
Contrasting Opinions of the Conduct
of the Allied Army.
Chicago Record

IHlcagO RECORD.
As the annals become more and more
complete the conviction grows that none
OF the detachments composing the allied
force in China was entirely exempt from
the charge of looting and worse. In most
instances 1t all depends on the nationality
of the witness what the testimony will show
as to the relative degrees OF obliquity of
the various troops involved. II has been a
satisfaction to reflect that the soldiers OF
the United States have stood well at the
head in decency and discipline during the
Chinese campaign, even though 1t has not
been claimed that they were absolutely free
from all the evils that followed the capture
OF Tien Tsin and Pekin. Two interesting
and contrasting opinions have come TO
hand, one published in the London Times
from its Tokyo correspondent, the other
written for the Antwerp Matin by Victor
Collin, it's correspondent in China.
The first statement Is based on informa-
tion current in Japan among intelligent
Japanese observers OF the military prac-
tices OF western armies. 1t is explained
that the estimates differ as to the fighting
capacity OF the various units OF the allied
| army. but are uniform when they discuss
conduct and discipline.
"All agree in placing the United States
| soldier at the head of the list, ," writes the
Times correspondent. mo excesses of any
| kind stand to his discredit Excuses In
the vocabulary Of these critics does not in
| clude the soldiers common fault OF in
ebriety No one claims any special virtue
for the American in that respect The
appreciations deal solely with crimes--rob-
berry, incendarsm, murder and outrage.
Not one of these is laid to the charge of
the United States private, According to
Japanese accounts his behavior from first
to last was that of a gentleman"
This Is gratifying evidence indeed as
should be appreciated no less in the army
than at home Germans come second in the
Japanese list British third and then after
a wide gap the French, followed by the Rus
SLAMS at the very bottom.
II is not strange that the japanese should
scrutinize the western armies closely, with
the memory of the storm OF Indignation that
arose in Europe and American when for
once they lost control of themselves and al
Port Arthur, in 1894 gave no quarter tc
the Chinese in retaliation for the shocking
tortures they had seen. Except for that
one lapse their campaigns We're conducted
in accordance with the most enlightened
principles, yet as the Times notes, sober
publicists have pointed to that one crime
as conclusive proof that the Japanese ma,
tion Is disqualified for alliance with any
white people.
Mr.. Collin, who was the first to relate
the shocking atrocities perpetrated by tn,
Russians at Blagoveshchensk and othel
places on the Amur river and in Man
churia, is hardly as kind in his judgmen
OF Americans, He declares that the seconC
place for pllage is given to the Americana
''over whom the officers have little or N
control and TO whom the whole Chinese af
fair seems good stroke Of business" H.
charges specifically that American soldier
have been found breaking open the cofhn
in the cemeteries between Tlen Tsn AM
the arsenal and plundering the bodies o
valuables He names the Japanese as hes
: OF all the Germans best OF the Europeal
forces and the French, Americans and Rus
T SLAMS bad in the order named Eyidentl
personal observation and sources OF I'M
D formation vary in the disturbed regions O
0 China