The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-03-02
MARAUDING MISSIONARIES.
BLACK SHEEP AMONG CHRISTIAN
WORKERS IN CHINA.
An Eye witness Narrates Events
Which Are "a ReprOach To Preach
ers of the Golden Rule.

An Eye " ttneSs NarrHteS GNehtr
Which Are "A ReprOach to Preach
ers of the Golden Rule.
From the London Nails Pekin Core
spondent.
The whispered anti-foreign demonstra-
lions in which the Boxer movement Gull
minated probably bro1ght more suffering
and injury to missionaries than to any
other class of foreign residents in China.
The fact that they were isolated and
more easily attacked was one reason for
this. That some of them had been largely
instrumental in imbu!ng the Chinese mind
with an intense and Unsuitable hatred of
foreigners is another. 1t must not be as
sumed that all the missionaries are wholly
responsible for that hatred. 1 think,
when some political economist carefully
analyses all the elements of riot he will
find them originating in the old, old labor
question, brought to a head by a sue
cesson of crop failures. on the for
eigners. who are attacking the hoary la
Dor institutions in China with their steam
boats on her rivers their railroads on her
sacred land, and their factories in her
cities this wrath would naturally fall.
That the imperial government should pre-
fer to see the wrath fall on foreigners
than on itself is also natural.
But missionaries did suffer. Some will
say they merely reaped where they had
sown. ! do not agree as to this. although
exceptional cases might be cited to prove
it, The average miss onary was simply
caught IN a maelstrom
Scarcely had the foreign settlements I'm
Tien Tsin and Pekin been relieved by the
arrival of the allied forces than a percen-
tage of the missionary colony was keen
on the scent of loot. This statement IS
not made lightly. 1t is based upon facts
which cannot be doubted. However, it
requires elucidation.
I shall not undertake TO fathom the
morals of the looting of North China by
the allied troops aud foreign residents. 1t
has already gone through several distinct
phases, each phase affording infinite vari-
atoms In the beginning everybody took
what they saw and wanted. This was the
phase of sunadulterated appropriation.
without excuse or reason for excuse.
Then officers began 10 remember that
they were supposed 10 be gentlemen, and
orders fofbiddiug individual looting wero
issued. After "A while these orders were
enforced. which meant that soldier la /
better not let an officer catch him steal
ing But the officers, and any other pea
pie who liked would purchase looted ar
tiole from the soldiers, and no question:
asked. Thus was inaugurated purchas-
Ing period. This has been modified 80
gradually that now stage has been
reached where the buying ana selling 81
loot bears the aspect Of Legitimate COM
merclal tranractions
In 80 the loot phases missionaries have
had their share. The day nf'ei ihe lega-
tlons in pfkin were relieved, prominent
missionary accompanied by % large NUM-
Der 0f Christian chnesf. Invaded ihe
reslaenco of = Prince, anq made r. biF
haul. Inridentf likr ihia were numffonH
WHEN fbe purchafinG period camf. mis-
slonaflos n0l only aiieU1el thr sale.. b4t