The Savannah morning news., 1901-05-06
MANY TALES UNTRUE
MIR. CONGER TALKS OF MATTERS
IN CHINA.
HE WAS NOT BLooDTHIRsTY.
STORIES or MISSIONARY LoOTING
ARE FALSE.

Expects flowers to Reach Some Con-
ciusion soon-China Anxious to DO
Anything in Her Power TO Accom-
plish-A Partition of China WouId
Lead to Terrible, Confusion-Re-
ports of MisbehavIOr of Soldiers
Have Been Greatly Exaggerated
New York. May Minister f. II. Con-
ger who has lately returned to this coun-
try, furnishes an article on the Chinese
situation which will appear in the DOM
ing number of Leslie's Weekly. Mr..
Conser says in part:
Unless matters have changed very ma
terially since | left China six weeks ago
the Powers Will reach some conclusion in
regard TO China very soon. OF course it
Is difficult for eleven men to agree on any
thing, especially when they have eleven
governments with different views behind
them. China is perfectly willing to do
anything that the Powers agree upon
that is, anything within her ability to ac-
complish. She is only too anxious to ex-
pedite these matters, and settle down 10
peaceful pursuits again. OF course, the
Powers must not demand an indemnity
which China will be physically unable to
raise 1t is not certain that finally some
nation may not demand territory Of China
in lieu of money indemnity. II is prae-
tically certain that if any nation does
make this demand the partition of China
Will follow. and this will inevitably cause
much dissension between the Powers
These difficulties and disputes would be
long in the settling and would lead to
terrible confusion in China.
Russia and Japan Not at Outs.
Russia has so far mtigated her de-
mands that there is not now much dan
ger of serious difficulty between her and
Japan. Personally | am very much in
favor Of the continued existence Of China
as an empire, governed by her own En-
reror. 1t will save us and all the rest
of the world lots of trouble If the in
tegrity of the empire Is maintained
AS far as the punishment of Chinese
officials goes China has already done ali
tnat she could. Something out Of the or
binary had TO be demanded by the Pow
ers. for 1t takes good deal OF punish
meut to impress this people. and this
was no ordinary offense. In some cases
|
manded were more powerful than the gov.
eminent .aud then. OF course the pun
ishment could not be enforced Excet In
these cases. everything was done as the
Powers demanded
Conger WINS very Lcnlent
AT home | understand that / was
thought bloodthirsty, but in China I was
the most leuient of all the ministers, ex-
ccpt one. We know the conditions better
than those who were not there could pos
sibly know them. Drastic measures were
demanded. but | do not think that we
were cruel. What would seem a severe
punishment to us a home would not i'm
press the Chinese at ALL for the reason
that they indulge Ia so many cruel and
unusual punshments. The reports of
cruelty on the parts of soldiers have been
grossly exaggerated though I am sure
that there was plenty Of brutality on the
part OF individual soldiers. AS an army
the allies were exceedingly well behaved.
Nor were the stories OF unrestricted Ioo.-
Ing true. In Pekin the soldiers took what
they needed, of course. just as we would
have seized anything that we needed while
we were Gagged up in the compound rad
we been able to fasten upon anything
that would help us to withstand the siege
AS for The stories of missionary Iooung.
they are undlsguisedy false. The mis-
sionaries did not loot"