The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-08-10
hANCHUS FAVOR
THE JAPANESE
Far Eastern Potentate Gives
Views on the Subject.
ROBBED BY THE RUSSIANS
Horses and Other Property Taken With
out Pretense of Paying
Damages.

Of the Eastern Marches IS a man OF
consequence. He is responsible for the
administration OF one of the three prov
inces that occupy the northeast corner
of the Chinese Empire.
His capital is Feng- city
with a record Of 1900 years-and his
province OF Feng-t'ien has an area OF
Is. 600 square miles.
The Importance OF this district is to
be measured. at the moment, not by its
extent. or by the undoubted richness Of
its soil. but by its position on the map.
Feng-tien borders on Korea. on the
Yellow Sea, and on the Gulf Of Lao
tung.
II Is. therefore. in the heart Of the
war. and among its mountains and val
leys viii be determined the fate Of
Manehuria. Before I called upon the
intendant learned a few elementary
facts OF the elaborate system Of the
Chinese civil service. with It's checks and
balances.
There are three governors In this
province. and, though their authority
and duties differ, each exercises a mod
Grating influence on the other. The mill
tary governor is, of course, a Manchu.
and commands the Manchu soldiers, or
Bannermen. Of whom nearly $1,000 are
stationed in the province, 400 being
foreign" drilled.
Being of the race from which sprang
the ancestors Of the reignins dynasty,
the military governor ranks first IN the
administrative hierarchy.
His powers. however. are limited, and
he serves only as visiable sign OF the
lpredoninance Of the Manchu race. Aft
er him ranks the Taotai, known rs
. FTrFnr--Tfqra-rnn ~ trf Of 4Ha
marshes. whose authority is wider and
more real. and under him, again. Is
the governor Of the city, with duties
more defined and circumscribed.
When he is master in his own house
the intendant lives within the citadel or
walled inclosure. The necessities OF
General Kurokis stan have banished
{ him for a time beyond these brick walls.
which have only the semblance of
strength, despite their iron-crusted doors
and deep gates.
In dusty forecoErt, the entrance to
which was guarded by a Japanese SEN
try, was stand of colors denoting the
presence Of the governor Of the province.
Passing through a small apartment
draped with crimson cloth. came to an
inner court and the seat Of justice.
Here, in a crimson-dra ped alcove. were
crimson chair and table Upon the
table were several narrow wooden boxes
IN which stood wooden labels inscribed
IN Chinese characters, and at one end
1ncaSed in yellow cloth. was something
that looked Ike a triple crown The
labels were tablets stating the nature of
the punishment inflicted on criminals
space being left for the judge 10 write
the number of strokes or other direc-
tions-and the crown was a casket con-
tanning the official seals.
While these mysteries were being eX-
nldlnen for in@rrT1rrinT1 the
appeared, and invited me to enter a
room adjoining the seat Of Justice
Chang shi-lam is a man of commanding
presence, tail, and graceful of figure in
his robes Of black silk with a face OF
the keenest !ntelligence-strong. mobile
and pleasant to look upon. Dressed in
European clothes he might easily have
passed FOR a well-bred and cultured
sEnglishman.
} He received me with a smile. and we
took our seats at a round table, over
(which hung a cheap paraftin lamp Of
European or American uRliness. and on
which were cigars and cigarettes Of Jap
anese make.
Conversation was difficult for n had
70 be conducted through two interpre-
ters- first into Japanese, and then into
Engllsh-Dut so keen and responsive
was Chang-shi-lam that after the usual
compliments we found ourselves en-
gagged In most animated talk
Inc race OF the governor was as ex-
presslve as that Of an accomplished ac-
y
eloquence as he spoke OF the war and
/ the condition Of his people Twenty
years ago Chang-shi-lam was appointed
governor OF this province, but in the in
iteryal he has filled other Offices, and re-
tturned 10 Feng- huan-cheng only within
the last six months
He is evidently a man in whom the
central government have confidence for
sthey have placed him IN a very difficult
and delicate position. / began by speak
iing OF the satisfaction It must give him
conducting themselves as if war was far
removed from the province.
Yes" ne replied, THE attitude OF
the people toward the japanese IS al
together different. The Russians took
our goods. our horses. and our mules.
paying nothing Tor them, or only half
the price at which they were valued II
may Dc that the needs Of the two armies
are different; but, at least, the Japanese /
pay for what they take, and leave us
the means OF plowtng the land The
governor spoke without bitterness. as
cflbing this difference IN treatment 20
the pressing ueeds OF the Russian army
asked II they had done much damage
% the town
NO WIS the answer. Before they
retired they wanted 70 set fire TO the
stores, but the people implored them to
spare the buildings and undertook TO
bring out the stores so that they might
be destroyed.
while his work was in progress. 70
port came that the japanese were al han
hand. and the Russians fed. leaving be
hind many things. including winter
clothing and ammunition" How long
was the column that passed through
here afteh the passage OF the Yalu7'
The head Of the retreating army enter
ed the town at 4 O'Clock In the after
noon, and marched without q break un-
I'll O'Clock on the following afternoon.
A few hundred stayed behind 10 destroy
the stores, but went away very quickly"
From the war we passed TO the HIS
tory OF the city. Its records 20 back
two thousand years" said the governor.
In those days the country hereab bout
formed part OF Korea, as many OF the
names Indicate
There Is a tradition that Feng-huan-
cheug once sheltered a Chinese EmDCr-
or. but II is only q tradition II you
60 into the hills however. you VIII find
many tablets OF stone recording .he
visits OF men famous IN letters and IN
war.
The country IS very beautiful, though
IL contains few things that would in
terest archaeologists beyond the traces
Of the willow palisade"
spoke OF the condition OF the peo-
PIE. They are very poor and very ig-
norant." replied Chang-shi-lam. Few OF
them would know what that is"-taking
up box OF matches from the table
and they would not know what 20 do
with Disappointing 20 tho cigarettes
and cigars. Beyond filling tie ground
they have no industries. unless you take
into account the culture OF Wild silk. I
When was governor here twenty