The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-10-01
LABORERS'
HELP IN WINNING
WAR IS PRAISED
More Than 100000 Coolies
Lab0red for Allies Releasing
Men for Service at Front,
Medical Missionary Says.


The part played by the Chinese La
Dor corps in the winning of the world
war has never received the publicity
in the United States that its Importance
would seem to justify, and among many
waNl-informed people little is known OF
China's contribution to the allied cause,
said Or. w. w. Peter, medical mission
airy who represented the Y. NJ. {, A. |
and other organizations In China from |
1911 until the wars end, and Y. Nj, |
G, A. worker with the Chinese forces !
In France during the war, who was In |
the city Wednesday to attend the meet
ing Of the local campaign executive |
committee for the coming South wide |
Y. Nj. c, A, drive.
China sent 140, 900 coolies to Europe |
during the war Or, Peter said, most |
Of whom were recruited in 1916, The
enlistments were entirely voluntary and
The government released many men
from the army to enter this service,
About 10 per cent Of the force was re-
cruited by the British and sent to
/ France via the Pacific and across Can
ada, The French government recruited
the remainder OF the force, most Of
which was sent via India and the Suez
canal The United States borrowed
from the French force of 10000
| Chinese who served under the command
of Lieut,-Col, John Price jackson,
DR. Peter left China in April 1917,
with 2,240 coolies, being sent by way
OF Canada, and after a time spent in
Canada he went on to Europe for y,
NJ, c, A. work among the Chinese.
| The coolies went to Europe under
contracts calling for from three to five
years service. Their service proved Of
the greatest value, and the least that
can be said of II was that they re-
leased an equal number Of fighting men
from necessary work for active service
at the front. on the whole their morale
was good throughout the war. A Chinese
newspaper was established which start
ed with a circulation Of 10000 and later
grew to 5000. A cooNe who could
read was very popular among his
fellows, large groups crowding around
him while he read the paper aloud to
them as was the custom In their native
land In that way the paper reached
practically the entire Chinese force IN
Europe. The paper was edited by Jim
Yem, a graduate Of Yale, who spoke
and wrote English and French as flu
entity as his own language. Practically
the entire Chinese force was stu III
Europe when pr Peter left France last
May. their contracts not having ex-
plred. When the excitement of war
was over and the while soldiers OF the
United States and Great Britain began
leaving, the coolies also began to long
for home and on account of general
labor conditions in Europe following the
war, a movement WAS OH lool W otHu
the coolies home within a year.
Just what effect the return Of over
100 900 coolies to China, after having
lived in the countries Of the white races
and observed tho customs and manner
+ Of living of the white races for from
three to five years will be on the de-
velopment Of thought in China, Dr.
Peter would not venture an opinion, but
he is confident that 1t will exert q
great influence,
America China s Hope,
The people Of China regard America
as their best friend among the ma
tons. The Chinese people are great!
I disappointed in the outcome of thu
peace conference with respect to thei
interests, and their friendship for tn
United States Is greatly strained bu
II is not broken. and the Chinese still
look to America as their greatest cham
pion. DR.. Peters believes that tn
Chinese people will credit the Untte
States with doing all 1t could to OBJ
tain a favorable settlement for them
and he is still hopeful that the goo
feeling between the two nations ma
be preserved, Dr. Peter Is nativ
of Ohio graduate Of Northwestern. col
lege and Rush Medical college, He
secretary of the council on public healt
education. with headquarters at Shang
hal, China, where he represents IN
National Medical association, the chin
4 Medical association, the Y. NJ, c. A
and the China Educational association