The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-15
LOOTING IN CHINA.
Some Charges Made by General VOy-
ron.

Paris Letter in London Times.
1 said yesterday that in all probability
the report would be published to-day, but
did not say that ii would be published by
the government; and, in fact, IL is an in
discretion that il has now somewhat OBJ
securely reached the Paris press. In repro
ducing the significant passage here 1 am
bound to explain why the government can
not and does not wish TO publish the whole
report. AS will be seen, it incriminates
some OF the missionaries, who INDUCED in
the most reckless pillage Turing on French
soldiers to do their work for them. But
the report says other things to which the
government does not wish to give publicity.
1t recounts certain facts that were already
being mysteriously noised abroad. both
here and. no doubt elsewhere. 1t says that
no sooner had the legations been relieved
by the allied forces while the Chinese in
the richest quarters of Picking were panic
stricken, than the ladies of the legations
ran off TO the best shops which were we'll
konwn to them. and pillaged them of their
valuable contents, returning with positively
crushing loads of the most precious arti-
cles-siiks, laces. jewery, gold and silver
and ivory work-which they hid and heaped
ing ruthless piIlage their normal and regu-
lar occupation.
As General Voyron's report gives names
and, in general, places the attitude OF the
liberated captives OF Picking in a melan-
chOly light, it is clear that it is not for
the government of a great nation TO pro-
vide history with pages almost Illuminating
for the dignity of both sexes IN Picking, for
1t was not the women alone who INDUCED
in these excuses. l hasten to add that no
particular nationality Is involved, nor yet
are the missionaries or soldiers of any sim
gle power. but those of all nations, that
/ If parallel with the heroic actions accom-
plished we We're to reckon UP the melan-
choiy events and inglOrious exhibitions of
conduct of which Picking was then the the
alter, volumes would not suffice. M. Wal
deck Rousseau DISPLAYED. therefore the
most prudent cool-headedness when, so to
say, he improvised the committee which
Will undertake to select the claimants for
indemnities, promising to furnish il with
all the details of the report. 1t is TO be
presumed that this committee will be com
posed OF men whom political passion VIII
not inclte to hand over to the pubic the
names of those men women who fur
nished an example of the basest cupidity
and a lust FOR theft, all the more shameful
because the impunity was absolute 10
those whose minds and souls they pretend
ed to purify and ennoble. All ma tons must
share this shame, and it must be passed
over III silence, for all are involved.
The following are the portions of the re-
port now published:
AT the outset of his report General Voy-
OF pillage preferred against French SOL
diers in China. He says that in a general
way the French troops were much more
reserved than those of the other nations
III certain acts OF pilage were committed
by French officers and soldiers. they were
severely rcpressed, and in any case were
only isolated instances Once only, de-
clareS General NOyrOn, the French SOL
ciers were led away to pilage methodically
and en- masse, but were melted by the
missionaries. The report then continues
teXtually
The missionaries. TO doubt well in
formed, came to Prince Lis palace on the
morning OF the 18th with forty carts and
two hundred to three hundred native Chris
tians employed as coolies, and began a
methOdical search. They gathered up the
silver ingots, and thus collected i'm
portant sum. They got themselves aided
in this operation by soldiers and sailors
stationed at Pei-Tang, to whom as a
gratuity they gave personal checks of the
value of 2,0O0 francs on the Sisters of Saint
Vincent de Paul, in France. On learning
the lot that had befallen their comrades
certain men not at Pei-Tang abandoned
their cantonments and came back to seek
silver bars for themselves. Being unable
to utilize them, they exchanged them for
checks bearing their names on one Chamot
Picking restaurant keeper, or on the pere
procureur of the mission. These exchanges.
the amount of which it is not easy to de-
termine, were made. ii appears at a very
heavy rate of interest. . General
Frey was in a peculiar situation. This
seizure had not been ordered. and took
place unknown to him. To leave in the
possession of persons in question the checks
delivered to them individually by the mis-
sion or the man ChamOt would have been
real encouragement to marauding and
pillage.
THE report goes on to say that the
checks given to the soldiers blythe mis-
sionares were either partially pooled in a
common fund or returned to the mission
aries. but the French sailors refused to
give back their checks. Finally a check for
! Ion wa To
viers name in compensation for the checks
which had been handed as gratuities to
soldiers who had assisted the missionaries
in carrying off the money and which these
soldiers had turned into common fund -