Arizona daily citizen., 1901-05-09
THE RoBBlNG OF THE CHINESE.

Minister Conger and Missionary Ament add
something to the collection of facts concerning the
Chinese ooting and amercing by their latest state
ments and it is chiefly confrmatory of what has
been said heretofore, Mr. Conger admits fully that
he authorized the system adopted by the missionaries
in the following statement:
Believing that our government would not del
mand monitary indemnity for the murder and
pillaging of native Christians, advised them that
wherever they could made settlement themselves
with the villages where those murders or obstruction
of property had taken place. to make them on their
own responsibility. LII Hung Chang and Chang Yen
Mao suggested that settlements might be made in
this way with the least possible friction. There is
going out and compelling the people to pay any.
thing 1t is altogether voluntary on their part.
1t is very difficult to believe that there was no
force or intimidation connected with this process If
the Chinese are willing to pay damages for injury
done by other people they certainly very differ
ent from any other nation earth, and it is con-
ceded that chief Missionary Ament collected fully
for damages done together with an addition of one.
thirteenth for injury to the cause Would the peo-
pie of any American town or village thus pay for
damage done by its lawless element without some
sort of compulson? And furthermore Mr.. Conger
told the missionaries to help themselves SO far as
habitations concerned. His directions are
given by himself: "If there is a boxers habitation
abandoned take possession of it, so you can have a
place in which to shelter and take care of the native
Christians These instructions become decidedly
interesting when coupled with chief missionary
Aments recital of how they were carried out. His
account after stating how he ordered out of the
British legation, proceeds:
Il Immediately thought of Mongol prince Hsi
Ling who was an ally of the BOXERS and whose
palace was the headquarters of boxers and black
legs. We found the princes palace entirely empty
and the next day we brought up our native Christ
ans and occupied the deserted place. In that house
and the neighboring houses that we occupied welpu
more than four hundred people. We took only
abandoned property. The only food in the princes
palace was bit of rice. We decided to sell the
clothing and curos found on the premises and
realized $500 in gold. They were bought by
British and American officers at private sale of two
weeks duration"
On what account was this $500 appropriated,
that the villages were forced to make
restitution With per cent. penalty2 But this was
not the only industry carried at the missionary
headquarters. Mr.. Lng's goods did not satisfy the
demands of the market, apparently, for Mr.. Ament
says:
Native Christians brought us furs and sables
which they had purchased at low price from
wealthy Chinese, who feared they might be looted
by the military people, and who were willing to dis
pose .of them for a little money. These articles
were sold OF place to British and other officers
considered that that was fair, honest specuation
which injured nobody, and that benefited many peo.
pie. There may have been some looted goods taken,
but it was without my knowledge. The Russians
and Sikh soldiers selling off truck very, cheap,
but my people did not do the looting
place where this sort of business is transacted
N this country is commonly known as "fence," and
he extent of the business here admitted may ac-
count to degree for the amount of Chinese pro-
'erty that has found its way to the civilized world
Turing the past few months
Certainly it cannot be very pleasant for the
Christian people of this country to read of such ad
Missions of unjust6able conduct by representatives
If the Christian religion in China and it may safely
assured that it has not promoted the cause in the
,stimation of the Chinese