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

For once the
AMENITIES OF Governm c t
CIVILIZATION. n 5. a S a X sc. { :
are worthy Of France. The meas.
ures over which rejoice are those
which resulted in the decision to
send back to China and to their
rightful owners cases brin ging
over to this country (France) the
spoil OF recent pillage in the Far
East. What took place there is,
it must be confessed, one Of the
greatest disgraces in history and
one with which our Western civil
ization will be lastinglY branded.
Formerly much shame was felt,
and rightfully ielt, 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 1t alter the fashion Of
Geugis 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
ur'gvorable % 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
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;
sanctuary and a treasure house Of
traditional chefs q HHJIe, 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 Of
the nineteenth century, the allied
armies OF countries which pride
themselves on representing the
most refined civilization pass
through it, and it is as though
Huns, Vandals and Mongolians Of
savage times had arisen from their
graves,
The amount OF carelessness de-
Veloped in the military stats OF
some nations and also in some
civil officials is surprising. The
fact has been reported, ana remains
uncontTadicted, that forced at any
rate to a pretence Of buying looted
objects and the taking oil a receipt,
men wearing the uniform Of the
different allied armies, or holding
respected and even aristocrattc
Office, have gone 70 rich and fright
ened Chinese vith some money in
one hand and q loaded revolve- .
the other, Offering" b. these
brutal means OF persuasion to buy
tor five or six pence goods worth
some thousands Of francs. To me
these seem the actions OF house
breakers in western boUleVards to
whom these personages would
be much surprised at being
compared. And, indeed, the house,
breakers have the ADVANTAGE over
them, in that, firstly, they must
live. and secondly. they risk in the
business life and liberty while their
aTistocratic imitators work with
certainty. For us it was an in
sufficient consolation to think that
IN these actions the French took a
smaller part than some other na-
tions, at the head OF which all seem
TO put the Germans. 1t vas also
a very slight consolation to re-
member the initiative came from
the Emperor at Berlin, and that il
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 my
mind it was doublY humiliating
tor France to ACCEPT in China Ger
man hegemony.
This decision of Government
puts things back to a certain point.
IL will not succeed. alas! in re.
storing the loot to its rightiul own.
ers. Much has been stupidly de.
stroyed by our civilized hordes,
. But it will give back to
France her proper r0ks; it will be
the beginning OF clearing our ma
tIonal honor from the heavy faults
committed IN China. And what
will other nations dor Will they
all follow our example2
Queerest Town in the United states.
On Holland Island, in Chesa-