Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-15
CASE OF THE CHINESE
SOME CAUSES OF THE PRESENT
SITUATION.
Trouble Dates Back Many Years and
Anti-Foreign Agitation May Re-
suit From Outsiders Attitude.

Reports from the south and from the
Yang-tse valley region show that the anti
foreign sentiment among the Chinese Is
very strong. China appears to be in fer
ment of political excitement. but the move
ment is directed mostly against the for
eigners. The causes of this second general
anti-foreign outburst in the celestial en-
pire and the reasons for the bitter anti
foreign spirit which prevails throughout
that county are not clearly understood by
many Americans.
1.-THE Chinese heretofore have given little
evidence of national patriotism" declared
an official who is fully cognizant OF the
situation. "They are full of local preju-
dices, and are antagonistic to themselves
when one province does not agree with the
other especially in Industrial circles, where
rivalry between different sections is in
tense. The Chinese, either as people or
as a state. have held themselves SO far
from the general trend of the worlds af-
fairs that competition with other nations
has been almost unknown to them. It is
only in the last decade or SO, especially
since her disastrous war with Japan, and
also at the time Of her Boxer trouble in
1900, that China has awakened dormant
sense of nationalism: this awakening being
caused by the invasion of foreign enter
fore. have learned that they have common
interests to defend. This has been so well
learned by them that good proof Is the
boycott against American goods.
I'm order to explain more forcfbly the
causes OF anti-foreign feeling will say
that the present movement Is not unlike the
Boxer movement. which, l believe, is really
responsible for the condition Of affairs to-
day. cannot give the situation In nut
shell better than Mr. George B. Smyth.
president OF the AnglO-Chinese College, at
Foochow. He says that 1t Is not inappro-
pirate to consider the question by present.
fraap a.
speak OF the antagonism of China toward
foreigners without showing how large q
share the foreigners themselves have had
In producing 1t. Naturally, for Americans
because in studying 1t we shall see much to
be ashamed of. and find that much of the
prejudice and hatred of western men and
institutions Of which we so bitterly COM
plain in the Chinese is due to ourselves. to
the way we introduced ourselves among
them. and to the way in which we have
often since treated them.
Beginning Of the Trouble.
AS 1t 10 well remembered, tie first trou-
bles arose in North China about eight
years ago. when the Boxers who are re-
sponsible. as I said. for today's instability
In the empire. brutally murdered the Ger
man Catholic missionaries at Ehan-tung on
November I. 1897. The Boxers are a pa
triotic secret society, whose origin has been
hard to trace. It was an athletic associa-
ton, organized for protection against the
rowing bands of robbers which infest some
OF the Chinese provinces, and it was called
Dy the sobriquet of Righteous, Harmonious
FIST, translated for brevity by the short
ana expressive term Boxers
Because OF the hard conditions set by
Germany as expiration OF the murder OF two
OF its sons. the Chinese became enraeed at
the injustice perpetrated, seeing In the mis-
sfonaries the causes Of their country's hui
initiation. and. In the conduct of the Ger
mans there the beginning Of an attempt by
the foreigners to seize the province. Finally
the Boxers began the series OF crimes which
have since made them Infamous. preached
patriotic anti Christian. antt-foreign
propaganda. and resolved to drive from tho
country the intruders and all that they
represented. They also made claims to,
strange spiritual powers to influence the
public. They practiced hypnotism. and the
effects which they thus produced ON indi-
viduals awed the multitude into e belief In
their possession OF mysterious supernatural
powers. The Boxer spirit movement, as It
accordingly came to be called. spread like
wildfre. and led to nightful excuses. the
burning Of churches, the slaughter OF native
Christians and the murder OF missionaries.
All this r. about to be repeated, only Il
Is more serfous, because the lesson has been
learned. and there remains nothing % be-
done but p4t s Into practlce The eoqtaty