Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-04-18
American Missionaries There
Cable Him 5,OOO-Word
Complaint of Japan.
SCOFF AT FAIR WORDS
AT BANQUETS IN TOXIC
Sixty Thousand Nipponese Troops
in New Republic characterized
as an Outrage.

PEKINC;, April 17.-Intervention by
the United States in the negotiations
now proceeding between China ana
Japan is recommended to President
Wilson in the appeal recently sent TO
| him by American missionaries in TINS
country. The message was 5000 words
| long and was forwarded to Washing
| ton by cable.
1t characterizes the Japanese de-
| mands on China as acts of aggression
such as eventually will present
| menace to the United States. Recall
| ing the fact that Japan has at present
| in this country double her usual quota
| Of troops (amounting to $4,000 men).
the missionaries urge that Japan be
| notified that the excess of troops
should be removed.
Chinese Official Paid Tolls.
The understanding here is that a
Chinese official, or several of them,
| paid the cable charges, amounting to
nearly $4,000, on the message to Pres
signed by Rev. f. w Thwing, Rev.
Rev. w. a. P. Martin, all connected
with the American Presbyterian Mis-
sion at Peking: Rev. Chauncey Good
rich of the American board of com
missioners for foreign missions, who
is stationed at Tientsin; Rev. H. II.
Lowry of the Methodist Episcopal
Mission at Peking, and Rev. c. F. Hub
bard.
There are in China several hundred
American missionaries, of whom the
great majority have not seen the mes
sage. Some of them who were re-
quested to sign it declined. The Amer
lean board recently requested its mis-
sionaries to avoid public expression of
opinion on political affairs. and al
though it is said the missionaries gen.
orally side with China in the present
controversy few of them have been
active politically.
demand Of China and not of Japan
American participation in the confer
ences now under way. 1t is suggested
that Great Britain and other nations be
invited to participate.
Outrage on Rights of China.
The missionaries ask that the gov
ernments of both China and Japan be
notified that the presence Of unusual
bodies -of Japanese troops on Chinese
soil not only enlbarrasses the freedom
Of negotiation. but constitutes an out
rage of the rights of China and a seri-
Gus menace to the peace and safety of
Americans and foreigners generally"
and recommends that pending the re-
moval Of excessive contingents of Japa-
nese troops all negotiations should be
suspended"
Declaring that I'VE wish it understood
that we are not partisans.' the message
says:
Let it not be thought that China is
republic only in name. because Of the
autocratic powers at present vested in
the president. The powers of his high
Office are wisely and patriotically ex-
ercised The formalities and parade of
kingly station are all avoided. and ad-
vancement toward a more popular form
Of government is vastly easier than it
would be under imperial rule"
The memorial offers explanation of the
shortcomings and enumerates the
achievements of the Chinese govern
ment It denounces Japanese aggres-
sion' as "a danger not only to China,
but eventually to America" and adds:
Shall we go on forever being fooled
by fair speeches made at full-dress ban
quets at the Japanese capital?"