El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-08-16
was the result of a conspiracy?''
Warned of DANGER

/ -
Warned of Danger
HE seemed to have that idea al
/ first Before he came to Japan he had
| been warned by his friends that at
! tempts would be made to assassinate
/ MIN The others Of his party Wero
/ panic stricken. and thought it unsafe
| Tor them to go out on the streets.
L assured them that the Japanese gov
eminent had nothing to do with the at
tempted assassination and urged that
they make no change in their move
ments- Ii was afraid that he might
lose face among the Chinese
He told me that he had been shot
Dy a miserable wretch, a man of no
rank or standing and that he was
forever diSgraced. He said that the
japanese had not respected him nor
protected him, and that he should have
remained at home. I insisted how
ever, that his wound would be regard
ed as mark OF honor and as sign Of
great service he was rendering his
emperor. I told him that his suffer
lngS were for the good of his country
and that the japanese were so ashamed
of the affair that they would be
less exacting in their terms of peace.
This talk seemed to quiet him. 1 know
that was right and belive that his
wound was the most effective of all
bloOdshed on the Chinese side during
the war It gave Ii and mis- people
the sympathy of the world. and it
put the japanese in such a light that
they moderated their treaty demands.
In fact, before Ii Hung Chang left,
he became rather proud of having been
shot The wound healed quickly and
he was soon well again"
Thinks Better of Foreigners
How did Ii Hung Chang regard
foreigners
That can easily be seen by read
ing his diary" replied Gen. Foster. In
his earlier notes he speaks of US as
barbarians and foreign devils. He de-
ri al
lows, and evidently believed in such
traditions as those which represent
them as killing Chinese babies and
saving their eyes for Photographic ma
terial- Later on his mind changed. He
became connected with the ablest for
elgners who went to China He was
closely associated with Gen Gordon
and Gen. Frederick Ward at the time
of the TAPPING rebellion.
He was present at Wards death,
and he describes how the tears came
into his eyes when he saw that great
general dying, so far away from his
home and family He had also to do
with the investigation of the Tientsin
outrages in which the missionary
hospital and orphan refuge was burn
ed. He had to investigate what the
Christians had been doing there and
punish the offenders. From that time
on his opinion of Christianity rose,
and he came to have high a respect
for missionaries and missionary work
Christianity with Confucianism. and
he once told me that If he had been
born in America he would have been
Christian, but that as he was born
in China he was a follower of Con-
fuscius. He put the two re-
hgions on a pa as systems of
morality and ethics.
when Ii was shot at ShimOno-
seki, the general continued, among
the letters of regret sent in was one
from the Japanese christians at Ma
holding meetings and praying for his
recovery in order that ne might carry
out the great work of the world for
which the Lord has destined him. This
letter produced a deep impression up
on Ii Hung Changes mind, and in reply
ne wrote thanking them and saying
that he had no doubt but their prayers
mad materially forwarded his recOv-
cry"
II here asked Gen. Foster as to
whether he thought China would
eventually become Christian"
He replied: "AII I can say to that
going on in China. Many of the highest
OFFICIALS OF the new republic are Chris
tlans. This is so of Sun Vat Sen and
many others You have seen how
Yuan Shi Kai has recently asked for
the prayers Of the Christian world
Tor China. I have Just received a let
ter from Mr. BrOckman, who is at the
mead of the Z. NJ G. a. in that cOun-
try He tells me that enormous meet
ings are being herd In Picking, Shang-
hal. MuSden and other large centers-
The people are coming by the thou
sands to hear the preaching, and there
are thousands OF converts"