Evening star., 1922-12-24
BRAND PEK|NG TALE
! IN SHOOTING FALSE
Foreign Commerce Bodies in
China Denounce Attack
on U. S. Citizen.
WOULD PUNISH SOLDIERS
Investigation Fails to Show Colt
man Fired or Was Trying
to Smuggle.
lW0ULD PUNISH SOLDIERS
ny WILLIAM r. GILES.

,gv cable to The Star and Chicago bail.
News. Copyright. 1877
PEKING, December 23.-While for
eign chambers of commerce through
out China are urging that the strong
est possible action be taken in the
case of Charles Coltman, American
business man. who was shot down by
Chinese soldiers at Kalgan. Chinese
authorities are trying to evade re-
sponsibility, and are blaming Colt
man with having fred on the soldiers
and with refusing 20 halt when COM
manded to do so. It also is being
charged that Coltman was trying to
smuggle silver out of China into Mon
Eolia at the time he was shot down.
The correspondent of The Star has
Thoroughly Investigated the entire In
cident and has ascertained that the
statements made by Chinese officials
are absolutely untrue.
Representation Made.
Representations already have been
made to the Peking government in
the Coltman case by Minister Schur-
man in Picking, and the State Depart
ment in Washington also has been in
formed of all of the facts in the case.
An investigating committee COM
posed of Chinese was sent to kalgan
and to Peking to probe the shooting.
but no American was allowed to take
part in the investigation. This Is
causing much dissatisfaction here. as
Chinese commissions in such cases
generally decide in favor Of local
Chinese officials whenever foreigners
are concerned.
p~ff ff0h
wholeheartedly supporting the Amer
leans in their protests over the Colt
man shooting.
The Tientsin Chamber of Com
merce has just passed a strong reso-
! luton condemning Charles J. Fox
paper in north China. for taking up
the Chinese side of the Coltman case
and believing their statements
against those made by Samuel Soko-
| bin, American consul at Kalgan, who
was with Coltman when he was shot
down.
The Tientsin chamber also praises
| the British press in north China for
| its assistance and attitude In protest
ing against the shooting.
Soldiers Become Unruly.
Soldiers throughout China are daily
becoming more unruly and showing
scant respect for foreigners, and un-
less they are shortly paid the wages
long due them are likely to become
worse. While government. officials
at Peking have announced that all
foreigners held by brigands in Honan
province have been released, this be-
| Ing accomplished by the bandits be-
ing paid to free them, many thou
sands of brigands still are roaming
over Honan and nearby provinces and
still are a menace to foreign life and
property. and will continue SO un-
| less some form OF strong interna-
tional interference is taken.
At this time It Is impossible to see
how order can be restored. as no gov-
ernment really exists, politics are
chaotic, parliament 10 a hodgepodge
of political strife and the president is
helpless. Strikes OF Judges, teachers
and industrial workers are the order
Of the day because of the nom
payment Of wages.
The Picking government requires
| IS, ,00O.000 to meet the expenses OF the
Chinese new year and 1t 10 not known
where these funds can be obtained.
CHINA 10 without credit either 1t
home or abroad.