Rock Island Argus., 1901-01-21

OF adjectiyes the world over. was
Sheng. the imperial director of tele-
graphs and railways. On the other
hand. Consul General Goodnow. who
was in communication with that off,
cial almost daily, holds him in highest
regard. Mr.. Goodnow goes further and
declares that while Sheng was being
bitterly attacked by the foreign press
he was actually in danger of being as
sassinated for the proforeign views he
so literally expressed. Mr.. Goodnow
has leave of absence covering GO
days. but expects to return TO his post
some time before the expiration of that
period.
Despite the reports to the contrary"
said Mr.. Goodnow the other morning
when interviewed on the subject by a
reporter of the Washington Star, ''there
was never any immediate danger of an
outbreak in Shanghai. There was,
however, a seriously tense feeling ex-
listing during the days Peking was
closed chapter We were 1000 foreign
ers, including women and children. in
the midst of three-quarters of a million
Cinnamon The foreigners felt little
uneasy, but did not manifest it in any
way. The Chinese. numberless though
they were, also had secret fear of the
foreign settlement. Such a feeling
sometimes leads to trouble, but nothing
came of it in this instance. happily.
''The foreigners drove out among the
Chinese daily just as il nothing had
happened in the north. My reception
the 4th of last July was attended. as
usual, by all the Chinese officials, and
everything passed off without the
slightest embarrassment or annoyance
on the part of any one.
"Li Hung Chang came to Shanghai
early in August. Those who saw him
during his visit to the United States
several years ago would be surprised at
the feebleness which has overtaken the
distinguished old man. He is now about
1S years of age and never walks out
without the assistance of two coolies,
one on either arm. He still carries the
cane given him by Mrs. Grant. 1t was
used by President Grant, and Ii takes
great care of it. His once tall. erect
stature is now stopped, but mentally
he is as keen. as astute as ever, and
that means he is one of the most bril-
liant of minds In the worlds affairs to-
day.
my last visit to Ii was a most
pleasant one. We had learned in
Shanghai that eight English mission
aries were imprisoned in Chill prov
ince. of which Ii was yiceroy. The
Britains were in desperate straits. we
were told, and nothing short of the
speediest action could save them. The
English consul general. it so happened,
was not on the best of terms with Ii
Hung Chang at the time, and so ! was
asked to intercede. l asked Ii to tele-
graph Immediately to Chill that he
would hold the captors of the English
men personally responsible with their
heads IL anything befell the mission
aries. Ii sent the telegram gladly. The
condition of the missionaries was at
once relieved and in due time they
were sent to Tien-tsin. So my last
of Ii was that he had saw
ed the lives OF eight white men,
''This was my last interview with Ii.
and. by the way, IL was the consulta-
tion which led to the wild story tele-
graphed to the United States to the
effect that the American government
had made a bargain with Ii whereby
he was to be escorted to Peking with
an American guard and warships and
afforded all protection. Such matter
was never discussed between U.S. Dip
lomatic courtesies prevented my saying
anything at the time as to the purport
of my. visit with the eminent yiceroy.
So you see how enormously history Is
sometimes made.''
Speaking OF the much maligned
sheng, Mr. Goodnow said:
The man who is most deeply con-