New-York tribune., 1917-06-24
Anti-Looting Detachment
Looted the Looters

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The anti-looting detachment looted
the looters; il seized vast bales OF
cloth and fine silks, bags of silver, bits
of porcelain and other trophies and
transferred them to its own headquar-
ters. Then il put up ghastly exhibits
on poles of the heads OF poor coolies
and ether irregular" looters, and on
the evening of the third day it went
home TO bed.
On the fourth day there seemed TO
be a change in the air. Looting even
by regular soldiers was vigorously
punished by instant death, and queued
heads actually went up on poles by the
sides of those of the miserable
coolies. Chang Hsun's soldiers for the
most part kept TO their cantonments,
openly counting their spoil, and the
rext day and the next thousands of
them started out of the city with their
booty piled high in hired carts. The
city by this time. however, was thor
oughly despoiled and terrorized; OF
its half a million inhabitants tens of
thousands were homeless, its six
schools and colleges were closed (in-
cluding the American Marking Uni
versity, only protected from the uni
versal looting by big American flag
across its gates, and its whole life,
intellectual, commercial and political
was absolutely and helplessly stag
nant.
The sacking of Nanking shocked the
civilized world, and Chang Hsun, its
ruthless perpetrator, acquired sobri-
auet he has never since lost in China,
THE Butcher" Yuan distrusted him
even in the midst of his most relent-
less service 10 his cause, and that willy
old fox took the first opportunity of
putting Feng Kuo-chanG's army on the
Tientsin-Pukow Railroad between
Chang Hsun and Peking. Chang Hsun
did not meet this manpuvre; he was
too busy at that time with the Japan
csc. This was another episode that
brought him worldwide attention.
Brawling about in the city, Chang
Hsun's men had sacked every Japanese
shop they saw, as II was then common
ly reported that the japanese were
helping the south. Not content with
this. they killed an inoffensive Japan
ese barber and his companion ard
threw their bodies into pond. Japan
Immediately, according to her usual
policv. issued a crushing list of de-
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initiating was that Chang Hsun should
march his whole army az the salute
mast the Jaranese Consulate, and that
he and his officers should stand at the
salute M the Japanese national anthem.
Chang nut off this grievous and grow
elling ceremony from day to day and
from week TO week, till the Japanese
gunhoats in the Yangtse became i'm
portuna,e and the bands OF japanese
soldiers in Markings streets became
ominously numerous. whereupon he set
the day for the ceremony.
what was the japanese would-be
disciplirarians' chagrin, however, when
Chang Hsun. after observing their pro-
gramme with the greatest composure
and correctness, marched of his men
and repeated the ceremonial salutes at
every foreign consulate in Marking?
Since those days Chang has watched
things in Peking and has bided his
time. Evidently he thinks II has come
now. What use be will make OF the
powerful grasp he has on the present
situation il is impossible 70 predict.
II his career were not so repulsive 20
all lovers OF liberty. Chang's rugged
will, apparently unaffected by his long
wears Of addiction 20 opium and IL
censs in other matters-his picturesque
adherence TO the past, and his s,reaks
OF farocious action, would make for
him distinction which his low birth
would only enrich in China. But Chang
is too implacable. too whole-heartedly
venal. too universally distrusted, even
among his present associates, TO go
far and permanently as dictator. He
drives about Pckine in a motor car
armored and sheeted and rearmored
like a small tank" and in this little
iugcernaut even he drives az break
reck speed He fears the bomb or the
bullet which his exposed presence in
any public place in China would surely
tempt.
His career is marvellous by-prod-
uct Of China's struggle for liberty and
Western institutions. In him that
struggle finds its supreme contrast and
its supreme test.