Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-04-26
CONGeR TALKS OF CHINA
DENIES STORIES OF ExTORTuoN nv
THE ALLIES. I,
He In Hopeful of the Future Rev.
Ament Criticises Mark
Twain.

A special 10 the New York Herald from
San Francisco yesterday says: F. II. Con-
ger. lnited States minister to China. ar
rived today on the liner Nippon Maru on a
SIX months leave OF absence He is accom-
PANEL by his wife, daughter and niece.
They viii start in day or two for Iowa,
ana VIII be met at the state line by n
popular demonstration. which will culmi-
late at the state house in Des Moines
Mr.. Conger is being urged to take the re-
publican nomination for governor.
THE Christian missionaries in China
have been grossly misrepresented. said
Mr.. ConSer I'm an Interview VERY few
things have been done by them for which
any apology need be made. do not say
they did nothing THAI might not have
been better done differently. but the stories
OF looting and collection Of indemnities by
force are false"
Then you do not consider the mission
aries TO be the chief cause of the trouble
BY no means. They We're only part OF
the cause. The luminosity OF the Chinese
was directed against everything foreign
The missionaries in some communities have
been perhaps too much inclined To mix
In controversies on behalf of native Chris
tians.
he fndemnities We're not collected by
force in any instance 1 advised the mis-
slonaries that as the various governments
would probably not demand paw from Chi
ia Tor damages suffered by native Chris
tfans, II would be better IL those damages
could be settled privately 1 advised them
to follow the plan which they adopted IL
was all done peaceabiy and In pursuance
of Chinese custom. The towns where dam
ages had been inflicted IN native Christians
paid the damages. l see nothing to criti-
else in this
How about the footing alleged To have
been done by missionaries I'm Pekin2"
m pKA Vs-arS sod - e
most diffcut problems was how To care
for the native Christians, who had been
an important factor III our salvation They
had risked their lives in building our de-
lenses, when every white man was needed
to handle the guns. When the siege end
ed, starvation confronted them. In the
nelghborhood Were houses which had been
the headquarters of the men who fired ,pon
us. The soldiers We're footing houses and
Selling stores of rice and millet and soon
there would be nothing left. Under these
conditions, some of the Boxer houses were
raided, and the contents sold for the ben.-
ut of the native Christians to give them
food.
The missionaries acted with nobility and
heroism, during the Siege. fighting bravelg
alongside the soldiers and the rest The,
legationers and the missionaries owe their
salvation to the native Christians for
neither alone could have been saved Tho
native Christians, whom the missionaries
brought with them. made our escape pos
sible. They were killed by hundreds in
working for our defence. We We're bound
by all sacred obligations to take care OF
them"
Minister Conger is very hopeful of a set
Element of affairs In China without further
trouble.
When 1 left" he said. I'VE were trying
to determine the amount which China
should pay. Then We expected to scale the
claims down to come within that amount.
The United States is standing for the pol
Icy of bringing the indemnity within the
bounds of China's ability to pay. SO that
the partition of the empire may be avoid
ed. All the powers, interested i'm the wei
fare of China, want this done, because it
is certain that any attempt to divide the
empire will result in endless strife among
the powers, and, ultimately, in revolution.
Our relations with Russia were very
friendly when i left China. No one can
tell what the outcome will be in Man
churia. OF course. Russia can make no
special arrangement with China now with
out violating it's agreement with the
powers. The Russian interests in Man
churia are very great. owing to her ports
stands committed to keep all this country
open and not permit it to get into the con-
troll of any other nation but China"
The Rev. w. s. Ament. who has been
twenty-three years a missionary in China,
came over with Mr.. Conger. who declared
that Mr.. Ament was the most lied about
man in China, unless it is myself The
minister indorses the acts of Mr.. Ament,
which were performed largely on his adj
vice. Referring to Mark Twain's attack
upon him in recent review. Mr.. Ament
said he would soon make a careful reply
to it.
Il want to be very careful said Mr..
Ament, with a smile. because Mr.. Clemens
is clever man and he can comfort my
language, so that 1t will seem to mean
something different from my intention. He
thinks he is championing the cause OF an
oppressed people, but he is mistaken as to
the facts and is criticisng the missionar-
les upon this mistaken basis
The amounts collected averaged about
500 for each person and were intended TO
supply the place OF the murdered father,
brother. husband or son. This plan was
initiated by Chang Yen Moa the commits
sioner appointed by Ii Hung Chang to set
tie the damage claims OF native Christians.
1t was agreed that those who had injured
these natives should pay for II. In some
cases the house was rebuilt as before. and
the animals were returned in kind as far
as possible. In other cases cash remunera-
ton was made. In no case was force used
In collecting these damages. 1t was all
done fair basis. 1 am willing TO bear
the responsibility for what was done on
this expedition. well elsewhere. for
1 believe it was right and il had the in
dorsement Of the Chinese authorities and
the towns which paid the indemnities-'
Mr.. Ament explained the footing by he
missionaries as Mr.. Conger had done. but
incidentally remarked that the correspond
ents came there prejudiced and wrote on
hearsay-
I'VE found many horses and mules that
would have starved to death and being
unable to find any owners for them, they
We're mostly given away. 1t is true that
some looted stuff sold under our aU-
spices. 1t was brought in by native Chris
tians and sold on their account
Some of 1t was stuff that they had pro-
cured from soldiers or other Chinese and
some was bought of its owners who pre-
ferred to sell 1t for fear il would be stolen.
This was especially true of the sable furs
They Were sold at fair prices-not as cheap
as the Russians disposed of theirs j can
see nothing wrong in this. for Il helped
many and did no one any harm. The pur-
chasers were mostly army officers"