Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-07-21
LET DEALERS STARVE
Peculiar Chinese Punishment for
Grain Merchants.
THEY PLANNED CORNER IN CORN
old-Time Penalty of the Cangue Was
at Once Applied.
)RIENTALs ARE TO STUDY ABROAD
Board of Comptrollers General Pick
ing Out Students.
GREEN DRAGON AGAIN ON SEAS
OmciaI sanction Given to Cruise of
Chinese Warships in Waters
of the south Pacific
Ocean.

PEKING, July 20. - Especially - Native
crime has been greatly on the increase in
the British settlement at Shanghai and
the municipal council has in consequence
decided to press for the reinstatement of
the cangue and bamboo as methods of pun
ishment Both OF these things have been
long omitted from the criminal cod
Shanghai and the results have prove \
thing but satisfactory, that there 81
position to return to old-fashione 80 of
punishment. Native criminals In f. nave
become increasingly daring and the pros
pect of Imprisonment In the ordinary Jails
has no terrors for them. While they are
in the modern jails they are well housed
and fed-better probably than when at
liberty--and experience has shown that i'm
prisonment so far from being a deterrent
is actually an incentive to crime.
The cangue II should be explained, Is
large wooden collar fitting closely around
the neck Of the criminal. 1t cannot be re-
moved by day or night during the entire
period Of punishment which may vary IN
duration from a fortnight to three months.
It's form prevents the victim from stretch
ing himself at full length and upon this
depends in great part the full severity of
the punishment. although 1t is questionable
whether the Chinaman does not feel more
keenly the ''loss Of face" entailed by the
public exposure The offender in times
past was usually left to be fed or starved
by the public at their pleasure. His name
and the nature OF his offense were also
written on the cangue In large letters. At
one time In Mongolia some wealthy mer-
chants were found guilty of effecting cor
ner in corn and their names and the nature
of their offence being stated on the cangue
h.
criminals. They allowed these wealthy men
to starve TO death claiming that the corn
merchants had deliberately tried to starve
the people to death. These particular mer-
chants did starve to death, but some Of
their wealthy relatives at Peking had in
fluence enough with the court to bring
about the abolition of the cangue as
means of punishment the claim being made
that II was baTbario and not up-to-date
when compared with the methods OF pun
ishment adopted by nations like England
and the United States.
Chinese to study Abroad.
The Board Of Comptrollers-General Of the
Imperial Household department has
recommended to the throne the names Of
twenty youthful members OF the Imperis4
Clan to study in England and Germany
Eight of these imperial clansmen will study
in England, It has been determined, and
will prepare for the navy, the British govS
ernment having consented to allow a GER
tain number of Chinese cadets to Join the
Royal navy and learn their profession In
British ships OF war. The remaining twelve
imperial clansmen will study IN Germany
and enter military schools there in order
to At them for commands in the reorgan-
lied armies of their country. II is stated
that twenty or more Chinese midshipmen
will enter the British navy as subiieuten-
ants some time this year OF early next
year. A similar step has been taken by
General Tieh Lisng. president OF the min
istry for war. who has made arrangements
with NJ Pabst, French minister at Peking,
for the despach annually OF fifteen certif-
Gated Chinese military students to the
French governments college in Paris to
study modern war subjects on French lines.
In this way 1t is expected China may count
on the services of ninety fully qualified
students during the next twelve years, be-
cause each detachment OF students will
main in France for fully six years, inclu-
sive OF the time devoted to extra regimen
tai training In the French army. The
Chinese government pledges itself to give
suitable appointments to these students
after their return to China in accordance
with their proficiency and regardless OF
their official ranks and titles.
ReOrEanIEed Navy.
Following expert advice the following
places have been selected by the ministry
of war as bases for the future reorganized
navy Of the Chinese empire: The Chang
shan group OF islands in the vicinity OF
Yungch'eng bay, shantung province; the
islands Of the Chusan archipelago, which
lie for the most part in Chekiang province
and partly in the province of Kiangsu; GER
tain islands OF the Miaotao group in the
Yellow sea, lying partly within the juris-
diction Of Fengtien, southern Manchuria,
and partly under that of shangtung and
the island OF Hainan, in Kuangtung prov
ince. It has further been decided to lay
aside an annual sum of about $S,OOO,OOO to
prosecute the scheme of recognizing the
imperial navy. which should in the future,
in the opinion OF Chinese naval experts,
be composed of speedy armored cruisers
and battleships of light draught and mod
crate tonnage. in the main similar to those
OF the German navy. feature of this
new navy when it is completed will be its
abnormal number OF torpedo boats and tor
peuO ueslTOyeIbs Win at least OOlen SUD-
marines OF the Holland type.
Imperial sanction has been given to
suggestion made by Viceroy Yuan shih-kai
that a couple OF cruisers OF the Chinese
navy should visit the various islands OF
the South Pacific. where there are innu-
merable Chinese doing business. many OF
them descendants OF men who emigrated
during the previous Ming dynasty. These
so-cAlled Chinese are In many cases quite
ignorant OF their ancestral districts and
dialects and possibly have even forgotten
that they are sons OF Han" AS a matter
OF policy. therefore. and to mako them,
even in the South Pacific. feel that they
have a sovereign who is solicitous for the
welfare OF his subjects in foreign countries,
It is felt necessary hat the Green ORA
gon" nag should be shown once In a while
10 the blsck-haired race OF Han abroad,