Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-05-20
American Troops in. Pekin Urged to
Remain,by Cinnamon.
MEMORIAL ADOP7EDBY MASSMEETlNG
A Unique Event in the Worlds
History.
REPLY OF PROVOST MARSHAL

last mail from China a petition presented to
Gen. ChafTee by a mass meeting of several
thousand Cinnamon who assembled in
front of the office of the provost marshal
at Pekin on the 2Sth of March last, and
signed by $500 Chinese residents of that
city, praying the retention Of the American
troops. Aside from the language of the
petition, which, with reply of Captain Till
son. the United States provost marshal. is
subjoined, an interesting feature of this
petition is that it is accompanied by
the signatures of the $500 petition
ers, each on a detached slip of pa
per, of all sizes and shapes which is In
most instances the visiting card of the
signer. the paper usually Of intense YER
million hue, but sometimes of yellow, pink
or rose. many Of them possessing a form
of chirography that is exquisitely artistic,
the whole forming a compact package OF
some six inches in bulk. There are also IN
book form the combined signatures OF SHOP
keepers by trades, or streets or sections,
exhibiting in the most pleasing form GUS
toms which while strange to foreign eyes.
are doubtless very familiar objects IN the
flowery kingdom.
Petition to Major Robertson.
The following is a translation of the petit
ton, which is addressed to Major ROBERT
son, 9th Infantry, provost marshal, Tar
tar city:
1--WE, the people of the American section,
consider ourselves fortunate to be prot"cted
under the glorious flag of the lnlted
States, a flag which has indeed secured us
better protection than we nave ever hdo
before. In addition to the commercial pros
perity and individual privileges we nave
enjoyed since the arrival of the allied
forces at Pekin. we have been favored with
many beneficial institutions. such as ponce
station, charity house, board OF healtn' Nac-
cination, etc.
1.-The court of provost marshal. which sell
dom If ever. leaves innocence without rec
ogniton and the guilty unpunished' is we
center of justice. The watchfulness with
which the American policemen perform
their duties has protected many merchant
from being robbed by foreign soldiers and
native rascals. Everything moves on as
smoothly as could be desired
thousands of homeless people, who
otherwise would starve to death, are being
fed by the American charity house Inc
excellence of the present sanitary arrange
ments, which was once so foreign TO U.S.
cannot but win our admiration. We believe
that Pekin has never enjoyed such sood
health in all her history as she is enjoying
at present. In short as conquered people
we are more privileged than we are en-
titled to. We earnestly and sincerely re-
quest you, the American authorities. not to
leave us until the time when all the nations
withdraw their forces.
This petition is signed by 5000 leading
merchants and prominent citizens.
1.-THE twenty-eighth day of the first month
in the twenty-SeVenth year OF Emperor
Kuang Hsu."
Petition to Provost Marshal.
The following is the translation Of pc
tition presented by mass meeting of Chi
nese in Pekin, China. March %. 1901, and
.o,l ,,,- Jrof V,ra,, Ting IF the Hanln
College:
ITO Capt. John c. F. Tillson, 14th Infantry,
Provost Marshal American District,
Chinese City. Pekin.
"Sir: We the people and proprietors of
two thousand coco business houses In the
American section, have the honor to beg
YOU to intercede in our behalf to secure
postponement of the withdrawal of the
United States troops from this section, as
we have been perfectly protected by you
from the beginning till now.
After the relief expedition the city was
divided into different sections, and we were
under your jurisdiction
1--WE are profoundly grateful because We
have been so well treated.
You have. under the wise government
established by you. justly punished Grim
mails; given us letters of protection that
have saved US from molestation from bad
soldiers, and enabled us to lead peaceful
lives.
You have opened charity eating houses
and saved the poor from starvation.
You nave employed policemen to pre-
vent crime; gambling houses and opium
dens have been closed and thieves driven
from the district.
I'VE have been made very happy, and We
are grateful to you because y"u have pro-
tected us SC kindly.
I'VE learned recently that your govern
ment will withdraw her troops before tie
other nations withdraw theirs. We were
very sorry to learn this, because we fear
departure. With the best protection you
could give us there was still some crime
Should the United States troops leave here
it is certain that criminals will again pill
lage the people. Though we may come un
der the protection of some other power. we
fear that the other power will not be
efficient as the United States has been. and
the officer not kind and just as you.
From the beginning we have been per-
fectly protected by you, but after you leave
we may be robbed and harmed by bad men
and badly treated by the new officer. That
would be a case of a good beginning with
n bad ending which would keenly re-
gret After mature consideration we have
concluded TO beg you to ask your govern
ment for us to kindly permit you to remain
here until the negotiation is concluded
This will prevent our being harmed. rob-
bed and badly treated, and we can continue
orr business with content. If this, pc
tition, be granted we shall be more CRATE
full than words can express. For these
sons we have the honor to submit our pc
tition with our names written on another
sheet.
Date: The second month of the twenty
seventh year of Kuang-Su, March, 1901"
The Provost Marshars Reply.
The reply of Capt. John c. F. Tillson,
14th Infantry, provost marshal, to mass
meeting Of Chinese petitioners was as fol-
lows:
"Gentemen: The compliment which you
pay the people of the United States by this
petition will be greatly appreciated by
them. I feel sure that this is the first
time in the worlds history that the in
vaded have begged the invaders to remain
or their soil g. ..r
THE United States army came to China
to relieve and protect certain citizens Of
the United States whose lives and property
were threatened by the Chinese. That mis-
sion accomplished it remained until satis-
factory terms of settlement could be agreed
upon by the powers.
This agreement having been reached,
the mission of the United States army in
Pekin has been accomplished and that
army is now making preparations to leave
fi,,c