The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-01-18
Ii HUNG CHANG SARCASTIC.
Suggests Amended Comma ndme mt
"Tbou Mayest Loot"

had at Pekin with Ii Hung Chang in No
vember:
Lii Hung Chang spent four hours yes
terday interviewing me. / had gone to
interview him. The conversation was
conducted through DR. George Mark, the
great Chinamans physician and interpre-
ter. Three servants stood Immediately
behind his Excellency dancing attend
ance on his Immediate wants. Most of
their time was occupied in Keeping a pipe,
with a stem three feet long, filled and
lighted, held up TO the mouth OF the
vlceroy without effort to himself.
After shaking hands according to the
Chinese fashion the man who is in Pekin
to get the Chinese imperial government
out of its muddle and the great Pow
ers of the world out of theirs advanced
and shook my hand after the hearty
American way.
said /: Your Excelency, the people
of the United States know you better
than any other man OF your race, and
look to you as the one man more than
any other who can rise to the emergency
and bring your own country and the
great Powers of the world out of this
crisis, in a way that will serve the best
interests Of all the world
/ am too old; am more than TO- was
his answer.
But. you are now here working on
the natter
ITO this he said something to the in
terpreter which the latter explained by
saying: His Exce.lency meant to be
modest when he said he was too old.
That. added Dr. Mark, is the way in
China
Iii Hung Chang at once began firing
questions at me, machine-gun fashion.
How long have you been in Pekin?'
he asked.
Six days said /.
Have you secured any loot?'
Not a bit
Where are you living?'
A the house of DR.. -, mission
ary There is no hotel in Pekin.'
How much loot did DR.. - secure?"
II don't know
AT this point Ii said something to
the interpreter and laughed heartily.
asked what His Excellency was saying,
and DR.. Mark said he was feeling in ex-
celent spirits and had cracked a joke
about the missionaries looting
DO you know Mr.. - one OF the
secretaries of the legation?" asked
Ii.
Yes
{" His wife is very wealthy. is she not?
I understand So
Do you know that Mr.. and Mrs. -
have purchased at nominal price tens of
thousands Of dollars worth of loot from
American soldiers end othersr
I know nothing about that
Do you know that DR.. -, OF the
- Missionary Society, and DR.. -,
of another Missionary Society, have Sc
cured vast quantities of loot in the shape
% e4l soI
have held frequent auction sales here in
Pekin and realized enormous sums of
money from these saies?'
Yes, l have heard much about this
and have seen some articles sold, but I
do not know how the missionaries secured
them.
DO you not imagine China will know
when the day of reckoning comes and the
indemnities are demanded?
Have you maintained a secret SER
vice, your Excelleney?" / asked.
1.-THE aged diplomat made another Jok-
ing remark in answer.
Yours is a Christian nation contin-
ued Ii. The nation that entered Paoting
the other day, looted 1t and murdered in
offensive Chinese citizens is also Chris
tian nation, believe (meanipg France.)
Lately l have been looking at what you
call your Ten Commandments. The
eight one says, Thou shalt not steal"
Now, / want to improve that one, in view
of wnat / have seen practiced by Chris
tian people, including the missionaries
who have come here to teach our people
not to be heathens. AS the easiest way
out of the position in which the Chris
uans, by their acts, have placed them
selves, and to meet the immediate press
ing needs. suggest that the Eighth Com
mandment read, Thou shalt not steal,
but thou mayest loot"
" But your Excellency,' said I, have
you heard che missionary side of the
question? The native converts are desti-
tute; all mission property has been de-
stroyed and through no fault of the
Christians, but on account of this Boxer
uprising that the Chinese imperial gov
eminent failed to put down. Hundreds OF
native and foreign Christians have been
murdered by these outlaws
Iii asked: Can you find any excuse in
your Bible for Systematically and DELHI
erately stealing as the Christian people
of the world have done and are now do
ing In China, both individually and as
nations in most cases? The disciples OF
Christ did not steal or loot when He was
crucified. Missionaries are looked upon
as willing to be martyrs; when one cheek
is struck to turn the other, and to meet
death rather than turn the least from
where duty calls. They were the first
to seek cover Of the gunboats last sum-
mer and leave the native Christians. 1t
was not imagined for a moment by the
missionaries severest critics that some
of them would become thieves when the
opportunity came for it, but some
of the most prominent ones have simply
been consumed by the disease of cpl
demic of footing that has taken possess
sion of all classes here. The native Chris
tians have been taught new Scriptural
lesson. The London Missionary Society.
like the American societies. has its ma
| tive Christians out bringing in articles,
as everyone in Pekin knows. These arti-
Giles are sold at the mission houses.
"'Have you purchased any articles from
the missionarles?' added Ii.
eyes, l bought a Chinese trunk from
Miss --, of the London Missionary
Society
"'What did you want with a trunk more
than you brought with you to Pekin?
81 have purchased a few little curios
for myself and friends said l. and the
Chinaman cracked another joke and
laughed"