Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-05
No Direct Benefits Have Fol
lowed Martyrdoms-Will
There Be Anot: er
Massacre?
ny WILLIAM T. ELLIS.


PEKING, China.-Neither missions. nor
notifies in China is comprehensive until the
Boxer outbreak is understood All roads OF
Investigation lead back to 1900. That was
the most eventful year in Chinas hoarS
history. Already it's vast economic ana
political significance looms so large that
the massacre of more than 200 missionaries
is coming to be regarded as a mere phase
of a great epoch.
The Boxer troubles were the birththroes
of a new China In those terrible days the
nation all unwittingly, broke forever with
her self-satisfied, self-secluded past. And
the punishment melted out to her, including
all the horrible and shameful excuses OF
the foreign troops, and everything else
that was comprehended within that unpre-
cedented orgy Of lust, loot and lawlessness'
has nut the fear Of civilization into the
hearts of the Chinese. Whatever reaction
may come-and write in the midst OF one
the nation will never again array user
bIindly against the world. Furthermore'
1900 convinced China that Christianity Is
here to stay; the sword, the fire and the
stake Of torture cannot extirpate II.
Since 1900 each year In China's history
has ACCOMPLISHED more progress than for
merly was achieved in centuries. Undoubt-
edIy this country has made greater strides
in the past six years than In the preceding
two millenniums. The change has been SO
swift. SO startling, SO kaleidoscope that
the world outside cannot comprehend 1t.
Missionaries who come back after year
furlough have to pinch themselves to make
sure that they are awake
This province of Chilli, which includes
Picking and Tientsin, ansrds the most ex-
traordinary evidences of transformation.
It's yiceroy Is Yuan Shih Kali, China's great
est man. although at the moment over
thrown by the Manchu reactionaries who
now dominate Picking 1t was Yuan Shih
Kai who created and controlled the modern
army of 70, 900 men which Is one Of the as
acts Of new China 1t was Yuan Shin Kai
who made over into a modern city large
mart of old native Tientsin. 1t was Yuan
Shin Kai who established there and at
Picking a police system and nre Depart
ment and Instituted regulations wnlch a nave
diminished to an enormous extent the hlthl-
ness of the streets. 1t was Yuan Sh1h kal
who made the narrow, rough and tortuous
alleys which throughout centuries have
passed for highways give $1,000 way TO VIDE e;
was Yuan Shin Kai who fostered system
OF modern education, of all branches, and
who opened public reading rooms and lee
ture halls, thus Insulting the heaven OF
modern progress into the minds of all young
China.
cloud. He has been shorn of the command
of the army, of all his numerous posts ex-
cept his viceroyalty, and OF what Is all I'M
portant In Chinese politics, his enormous
revenues The Manchu reactionaries who
compose the palace clique are on top; but
no one expects them to attend the mad
follies of seven years ago. Halted as re-
FORMER by these, Yuan Shih Kai is also
hated by the extreme wing of reformers
themselves. whom he betrayed in 1900. thus
making possible the ''coup d'etat" whereby
the empress seized the reins Of power from
the feeble hands OF the emperor There II
said to be q blood feud between the en-
peror and his most powerful subject, and
All sorts of conjectures are made as to what
will happen when the empress dies:
But the reform spirit grows dally. The
revolutionary society Is Increasingly Tor.
midable. Nobody here would be surprised
at a national political conhagration and
revolution which would be as different from
| the present sporadic outbreaks as war IL
I from a skirmish. But, at the same time
old DAYS. From what could CLEAN Of the
| opinions of Sir Robert Hart and the Oldest
| DIPLOMATS merchants and missionaries, 9
general massacre OF foreigners mot ar
| impossibility; but 1t will not be by govern
| ment conniyanee as before. And whatever
| comes, China Is inevitably destined to be
come one of the nations controlled by the
western ideals Of civilization.
| This much OF the political consequence!
| of the Boxer outbreak 1t has been necessar!
| to write In order to make plain the religious
| conditions, with which this article Is pri
marily concerned. On every hand I hav,
| heard In America that ''the blood of tn,
martyrs" had again proved to be ''the seee
| of the church" 1t is surprise to FIND
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