Albuquerque morning journal., 1913-11-16
CHINESE BRIGANDS
ARE OPERATING
ON BIC SCALE
No Province in Empire Is Free
From Bandits American.
Missionaries Forced 10 Flee
for Their Lives,

China has sprcad until some robbcr
bands have assumed the dignity az
small armies Thcy muster both foot
and cavalry and are as large az two
American regiments No province is
free from bandits From AIauchurln.
where the Hunghutzcs ply their trade
90 l<Wantuug. infested hy pirates. and
from Kia0rsu 60 TurEcaan. ccme re-
ports of freebcoters who defy the au-
thorites
There IS no local police to cope with
the outlaws and the army is not at
present a dependable branch of the
administration. China is never free
from brlgandaee, but IL Is only II pc
riods of transition, when the local aa-
thority of the government shaken by
political disorders like the recent re-
hellion, that the bands attain such
large proportions.
The American missionaries who fled
from their homes I'm the interior Of
Fuken province are stil at Foochow.
unable to return because no protection
can be assured them boy the govern
ment The American consulate at
Foochow and the legation in peking
have been trying In vain for several
months to get the Chinese government
TO take vigorous action against Hwang
LANG, the outlaw who proclaimed
himself sixteenth emperor Of the Ming
dynasty
A consular report from Shensl says
that province is practically admins
tered by outlaws, who work solely I'm
their own interest The governor ad-
heres to the central government only
because there IS no Interference from
peking and because IL rs good policy
for him to describe himself as loyal
The governor, or tutu. as he is called.
was poor and interruptions official
but now he has amassed a large for
tune and numerous harcm
The consul gives an account of how
the commanding general likewise OBJ
tanned wealth and authority Being
appointed commissioner for the sup
preston Of opium I'm the province,
says the report, ne started on a tour
with "a body Of troops. He took the
precaution always 10 send word ahead
announcing his approach. . policy
which, as is customary brought forth
munificent presents from the people.
If the presents We're ample no opium
was discovered, He confiscated only
the prepared drug, that being most
easily portable and OF the highest
value, and brought II back to the inn
portant centcrs and sold IT,
A member of the American consular
service who came recently to Peking
from Canton SAYS that piracy along
the rivers and canals Is more eXten-
sive than ever before. The authorities
are endoavoring to terminate 1t by
giving the chiefs government offices
and Incorporating the ordinary pirates
and brgands i'm the army and navy.
IL is evident that this tme-honored
practice has not passed away with the
Manchu dynasty.
The French legation has received
news of the burning of a Roman Cath
Ollie mission church during the plum
dering and burning OF town In
southern Honan. not far from Tsao-
yang. where the American and Norwc-
gan missionaries were made prisoners
I'm September The government has
Sent troops In large numbers to fight
against eWhite Wolf" the brigan1
chief who is terrorizing that section
of the country but according TO the
report of another American consul,
the soldiers. though sufficiently NUM-
erous are not making serious efforts.
They have been trying, ostensibly. for
several months 20 round up the brig
ands, yet walled towns are still being
besieged. captured and looted by them.
A missionary in "a Honan city de-
scrbes how a band two thousand
strong impressed villagers to carry
fuel up to the gate Of town barred
against them i'm order to burn down
the gate so that they might enter and
loot the place. The villagers were
literally between two fires, for when
they approached the gate they were
shot at from the walls BY the soldiers
garrigOutuu tho town and If t0pV re-