East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1904-11-07
The Monster Vice
roy Of Manchuria

The most interesting figure of the
moment in the East is neither Rus
sian nor japanese, but is a Chinaman,
the chung choOng, or Chinese vice
roy of Manchuria. To afford him
spectacle. to impress him with the
might and potency of civilized arms
General Kuropatkin halted his troops
at Mukden.
To earn his appreciation and the
approval of Pekin. the Japanese
pushed on their advance north of
their natural frontier at Lao Yang.
In the hands of this man, the vice
roy of Manchuria, the Tartar general
of Mukden. the keeper of the imperial
tombs. the guardian of the sacred pal
ace, lies the key to the political situa-
tion in Manchuria.
The safety of the long lines of
Japanese communications from Dali
ny to Liao Yang, from the Yalu to the
Taitscho, and of the longer lines of
Russian communications from Muk-
den to AIanchuria lies at his DISPOSE
ton.
Quiet of manner and gentle of
voice. it is difficult to realize that
the Tartar general of Mukden con-
demns to death each year in his va
men Il thousand of his subjects, Each
afternoon of my five months stay in
the province of Mukden two or three,
sometimes five or six bedraggled
Cinnamon were decapitated in the
barren potter's field beyond the Lit
tie West Gate of the capital.
In the outer courts of his yamen
have seen such exhibitions of tor
ture, such bastinadoings and slipper
ings, such racking of joints and twist
ing of muscles as turn my heart sick
at the recollection.
Yet is the viceroy himself essen
TALLY u mild-mannered man, a litera-
teur and a patron of the fine arts.
The first time / was received by him
was an occasion of much ceremony.
/ was ushered in between long lines
of mandarins, through the central
doors that open only for those whom
his excellency deigns to honor. That
morning he had refused an audience
to his excellency, the Viceroy Alexieff
on the plea of ill health, and the
honor done myself was designed to
emphasize the significance of the ex-
cuse.
The chung choong, robed in the i'm
perial yellow of his office, alone seat
ed himself with me at the table in his
reception pavilion. Pig-tailed retain
ers served sweet champagne and
cakes, fruit and the customary tea.
We talked much of the situation
and the troubles of his people. 1
asked how long he had ruled in Man
churia. His answer was brief but
significant:
six unhappy years"
In those years his province has
been devastated by three wars, his
capital has been sacked by the mob
and occupied by the Russians, his
power has been filched from him, his
life has been demanded as the price
of his part of the Boxer uprising, his
royal state has been exchanged for
the condition of a prisoner, he has
contemplated suicide.
His suicide undoubtedly would have
been effected had 1t not been for an
excess Of filial piety. His mother was
still alive, an aged lady of some so
years. To his Chinese mind 1t would
have been an unworthy thing to leave
this world before the mother who
bore him. So he lived.
Besides. he has no son to do his
memory fitting honor, to worship at
his grave. AS Mencius has said; ;
There are three things which are
unfilial, and to have no posterity is
the greatest of these" The chung
choong could not depart this life with
so great sin upon his conscience.
Accordingly, some weeks before my
arrival In Mukden, he put away h
barren wife and adopted a more
probable bearer. When last 1 was re-
ceived by him, on August II, 1 asked
after the health of his lady. The
viceroy's face beamed with gladness
Three weeks ago she bore me a
son."
Most severely has the presence of
the viceroy strained the tact Of the
Russians in Mukden. His yamen
has been a privileged center of espi-
onage. He himself has taken a de-
light in refusing buildings for hospi-
tails, in placing difficulties in the wav
of his most unwelcome guests, In pro-
pounding nasty political problems for
solution. Whichever eombatant holds
Mukden bears the responsibility for
all the indignities thrust upon the
Chinese by the exigencIes Of the mill
tary situation. The chung choone
cannot WELD full power in a proyince
occupied by troops OF another nation.
and yet whoever removes that nowar
from him incurs the danger Of the
enmity of China.
The Russians have dealt wise,v
with the problem, have repeated the