The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1904-08-11
A CHINESE POTENTATE
THE IEzrNDANT or THE EAST.
b. ERY MARCHES.

Attitude Of the Chinese Towards
the Combatants In the Present War.
| The intendant Of the Eastern Marches
is a man OF consequence. He is re-
sponsibie for the administration of one
Of the trhee provinces that occupy the
northeast corner Of the Chinese Empire.
His capital IS Feng-huan-a city with
record Of 1000 ears-and his province
OF Feng-tien has an area Of 5000
square miles. The Importance of this
district is to be measured. at the
moment, not by its or by the undoubted
richness if its soil. but by its position on
the map. Feng-tien borders on Korea,
on the Yellow Sea. and on the Gulf of
Liao-tung. It is therefore, in the heart
Of the war. and among its mountains
and valleys viii be determined the fate
OF Manchuria. Before l called upon
the Intendant learned few element
airy facts o fthe elaboate system of the
IChinese civil service. with its checks and
balances. There are three governors in
this province. and though their authori-
ty and duties differ, each exercises a
nloderating influence on the other. The
military governor is. Of course. a
Manehu, and commands the Manchu
soldiers, or Bannermen, of whom nearly
$4,000 are stationed in the province. 1900
being foreign drilled, Being of the
race from which sprang the ancestors Of
the reigning dynasty the military
governor ranks first in the admin
listrative hierarchy. His powers, how
ever are limited, and he serves only as
visible sign Of the performance of
/ the Manchu race. After him ranks the
Taotai, known as Tung-pien-tao, or
the Marshes, whose authority is wider
and more real. and under him. again, is
thine governor Of the city, with duties
more defined and circumscribed. When
he is master in his own house, the In
tendant lives within the citadel or
walled enclosure. The necessities Of
Gen. Kurokis staff have banished him
for time beyond these brick walls,
which have only the semblanee OF
strength, despite their iron7crusted
doors and deep gates.
In q dusty foreeourt, the entrance to
which was guarded by a Japanese SEN
try, was a stand Of eoiors denoting the
presence of the province. Passing
/ through a small apartment draped with
crimson clotn. came TO an inner court
land the seat Of justice Here, in Grim
i son-draped alcove, were crimson chair
and table. Upon the table were several
marrow wooden boxes, in which stood
| wooden labels Inscribed, in Chinese
characters, and at one end. eTeased In
i yellow cloth. was something that looked
like triple crown. The labels were
/ tablets stating the nature of the
punishment inflicted on eriminals--a
space being left for the Judge to write
| the number Of strokes or other direc-
tons and the crown was casket con-
/ tanning the official seals. &
While these mysteries were being ex-
planned for my instruction, the governor
Il appeared. and invited me to enter a
room adjoining the seat of justice.
Chang shi-Iam is a man Of commanding
presence, tall, and graceful Of figure in
his robes of black silk, with a face Of
the lzeenest intelligence strong, mo-
bile, and pleasant to look upon Dress
ed in European clothes he might easily
have passed for a well-bred and Gull
j tured Englishman. He received me
i with smile, ana we took our seats at
round table, over which hung cheap
parafin lamp of European or American
ugliness. and on which were cigarettes
Iof Japanese make Conversation was
diff1cult, for it had to be conducted
through two interpreters first into
Japanese, and then into Engiish-but SO
keen and responsive was Chang-shi-lanl
that after the usual compliments we
found ourselves engaged in most ami
mated talk. The face Of the governor
was as expressive as that of an ac
Ecomplished actor, and his dark eyes
i lighted up with eloquence as he spoke
Of the war, and the condition Of his.
people Twenty years ago Chang-shi-
lam was appointed governor of this pro-.
vince, but in the interval he has filed
other offices, and returned to Feng-huan
cheng only within the last six months.
He is evidently a man in whom the
central Government have confidence, for
they have placed him in a very difficult
i and delicate position. began by
| speaking Of the satisfaction it must
/ give him to see the people ploughing the
land and conducting themselves as If
war was far removed from the province.
| Yes, he replied, the attitude of the
/ people towards the Japanese is alto
gether different. The Russians took our
goods, our horses, and our mules, pay
ing nothing for them, or only half the.
i price at which they were valued. 1t
/ may be hta the needs of the two armies
are different; but at least, the Japanese
pay for what they take, and leave us
the means of ploughing, the land" The
governor spoke without bitterness as
cribing this difference in treatment to
! the pressing needs Of the Russian army.
I asked IL they had done much damage
Ito the town. mo" was the answer.
/ Before they retired they wanted to
set fire to the stores, but the people Inn
plored them to spare the buildings and.
undertook to bring out the stores so that
/ they might be destroyed. While this