Washington sentinel., 1901-01-19
IT, -, SENTINEL

For once the
AM ENTITIES OF Governm n [
CIVILIZATION. s.,,.ss n : \ tt,t : u
are worthy Of France. The meas
ures over which rel oice are those
which resulted in the decision to
send back to China and 10 their
riehtful owners cases bringing
over to this country (FTance) the
spoil OF recent pillage in the Far
East. What took place there is,
it must be confessed, one Of the
greatest dlsgraces in history and
one with which our Western civil
ization will be lastinglY branded.
Formerly much shame was felt,
and rightfully telt, about the loot
ing of the Summer Palace. But
what was this compared to what
has now taken placer Then, at
any rate, there had cen a declar-
alton OF war, and what was plum
dered was the palace OF the sover-
sign against whom war had been
maue.
Today we enter a town lately
plundered by Boxers, and Euro
pean troops follow the example Of
the brigands they pursue! We
boast of having gone to China SIM
ply to re-establish order, and we
re-establish It after the fashion Of
Gengis Khan. Compare intentions
and you will see they are in favor
Of the first looting History owes
apologies TO the famous Colonel
Dupiu,
The comparison is still more
un'lvOrsDle % you consider what
has been taken In that land there
was a city until lately one Of the
three greatest capitals OF the
world, and one of the chief and
most ancient centres of human
civilization; the metropolis Of a
genius above all else original, OF a
system OF thought, Of an art, and
OF a number OF trades for long dis
tant from those Cf the rest OF the
world, to which we owe much; a
sanctuary and treasure house OF
traditional chefs d UHgyc, the accu-
mutation OF many centuries heaped
up, not only in the imperial palace,
but in those OF princes, in private
houses, and in the most famous
religious monuments IN the Far
East. In the last DAYS oil
the nineteenth century, the allied
armies OF countries which pride
themselves on representing the
most refined civilization pas.
through it, and it is as though
Huns. Vandals and Mongolians o
savage times had arisen from THEN
graves.
The amount OF carelessness de.
veloped in the military stats o
some nations and also in some
civil officials is surprising. The
fact has been reported, and remains
uncontradicted, that forced at any
rate to a pretence Of buying lootec
objects and the taking Of a receipt
men wearing the uniform Of tht
different allied armies, or holding
respected and even aristocratrt
Office, have gone to rich and fright
ened Chinese yith some money %
one hand and q loaded revolve- e..
the other, Offering" b" these
brutal mea MS OF persuasion to buy
tor FIVE or six pence goods worth
some thousands Of francs. To mt
these seem the actions OF house
breakers in western boUlevards Il
whom these personages woulC
be much surprised at beinf
compared. And, indeed the house
breakers have the ADVANTAGE ovei
them, in that, firstly, they mus
live. and secondly, they risk in the
business life and liberty while theil
aristocTatic imitators work with
certainty. For US it was an in
sufficient consolation to think tina
in these actions the French took f;
smaller part than some other ma
tions, at the head OF which all see
10 put the Germans. II vas ais,
a very slight consolation to re
member the initiative came from
the Emperor at Berlin, and that /
was altogether with this meaning
he gave his troops such remarka
bly, fierce counsel, if he recon-
mended massacre rather than pill
lage, there is an evident connec
tion betW cen the two. To m
mind it was doublY humiliatinI
tor France to ACCEPT in China Ger
man hegemony.
This decision Of Governmen
puts things back to a certain poinI
1t will not succeed, alas! in re
storing the loot 10 its rightiul own
ers. Much has been stupidly de
stroyed by our civilized hordes
But it will give back Z
France her proper r0ks; it will b
the beginning Of clearing our ma
tIonal honor from the heavy fault
committed IN China. And wha
will other nations dor Will the,
all follow our example9
Queerest Town In the United States
n I-11.l Tn1.-J - TL.z-