The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-02-20

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to Shanghai. He was ready for any.
thing that turned UP, and China just
then was big with opportunity. Fol
ten years the empire had been in tn.
throes of mighty conflict, and anar-
country.
The Rebellion.
The Tac-ping rebellion, starting in
an alleged revelation to a reformer
who called himself the Heavenly King
and who protested a form OF religion
having some resemblance to Christian-
ity, had spread year after year until
province after province had been con-
quercd. and the government at Pekin
was in imminent danger Only a few
ports were open to the commerce of
the world. The imperial government
was unable, even had it any particular
desire. to prevent the rebels from in
terfering with the residents of the
treaty ports. The governorship of a
province was matter of barter and
sale, and the governor usually showed
more concern in the progress of the
rebellion than did the imperial author
tiles. hemmed in by their centuries-old
prejudices and conceits.
To the Chinese merchants of the
treaty ports the rebellion was source
of much alarm The rebels hated the
foreign devils" more even than did
the Pckin government. They were for
China for the Chinese. England and
| France had warships at all the open
ports to protect their interests, but
this protection was confined to only the
range of the ships guns. The whole
country beyond was overrun Each
city had to look after itself. II held
by the imperialists and captured by the
rebels, II was subject to loot. If held
by the rebels and captured by the i'm
perialists, 1t paid as heavy toll Aside
from the rebel armies and the various
imperial armies. Independent armies of
robbers, which sometimes numbered
10000 men, roamed the country over,
piunderlng wherever opportunity Of
fered.
Each city was walled. and around
each wall was a moat. Conditions were
about the same as existed III the early
days when robber bands swept over
Europe. and each city or each province
had to look to Itself for protection.
Business Is Business.
While the attitude of England.
France and other nations toward the
imperial government and the rebels
ostensibly was one of neutrality. the
concern of the men in command Of the
Warships at the open ports was to pre-
vent so far as possible interference
with commerce. UnqHestionably the
rebels interfered with commerce. Not
only that. but they wanted to get the
treaty ports away fromSthe foreigners
10 the Chipcse merchants In such ports
as Shanghai and Hong Kong this was
serious indeed. There had been a ire
mendous development in trade before
the rebels Invaded the districts trib-
utary to the treaty ports, but now the
messhants were threatened with ruin.
WIN Httle aid to expect from the
Imperial government the merchants OF
Shanghai. led by mandarin named
Iakee, FORMED combination to put a
foreign legion in the field to clear the
iangtze kians Valley of the rebels
sufhciently to insure safe progress to
commerce. They were looking around
Tor likely foreigner to organize such
legion when Ward landed In
Shanghai. He lost no time In putting
himself before them as a candidate for
the job.
There was no sentiment whatever In
the transaction The merchants made
1t clear to him that 1t was a business
affair pure and simple. The rebels were
carrying everything before them and
soon would be ready to attack
Shanghai If Ward would get togeth-
or force OF white men to fight
against the rebels the merchants would
|spay stipulated sum for every man
who served, and. besides, Ward and
his followers would ave the privilege
Of levying tribute en- such cities as
they captured. Or holding such loot as
fell to them. This proposition looked
very good to Ward. He had a fancy
for loot. So did the men he invited to
Join him. Shanghai had its full pro-
portion Of soldiers of fortune then. as
1t has now and as it probably will
have so long as It remains a great
, port. More than 100 men. most of them
sailors, not few ofithem deserters
! from the warships. enlisted In his
legion, /.
The First Fight.
With these men. armed as bcst NJ
could equip them, Ward left Shangha
| one day in July, 1850. for Sung Kong
| a city eighteen miles from Shanghai
! on the River Wompoa In Sung 1Sions
! was a.rebel force OF about 5000 Thu
/ foreigners had IA fine contempt for tn
Chinese. and thought that with thel
4 superior arms they would have NJ
trouble with the rebels, who relied OF
4 gingals, antiuuated muskets ant
swords, but Ward and his men Wer
| repulsed with severe loss. That dldn'
affect the spirits of Ward, however
He recruited another force In Shangha
and went back TO attack Sung Kionl