Evening star., 1923-08-11
NATIONS DEMAND
CHINA PAY HEAVILY
Is Join in Insisting Upon In
demnity for Bandit Prison.
ers and Pledge for Future.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
PEKING. August IL. - Indemnities
for the capture and Imprisonment of
foreigners by the Suchow traip ban
dts last May were demanded of the
Chinese government in a communica-
tion presented yesterday over the sig
natures of fifteen foreign ministers.
Although nationals of only four for
eign powepS-America, Great Britain,
France and Italy-were victims of the
bandits, the other diplomatic repre-
sentatives Joined in a memorandum
which indorsed the demand made
separately by various legations at the
time of the brigandage in Honan
province in 1912.
Demand Heavy Damages.
T'he present demands include dam
etseS of $500 (McXican) daily for each
foreign captive the first three days of
atS detention; thereafter compensa-
tion by weeks, with 500 for the first
Sl5O for the second and proportionate
increases for the other weeks up to
$500 for the final week. Supplement
tary indemnities are required for any
injuries sustained in captivity. for
medical attention made necessary by
the experience and for loss of earning
capacity during the period.
The British government asked
$4,000 for the death Of Joseph Roth
man, British subject. who was shot
and killed when the bandits boarded
the train
The first section of the memoran
dunn dcmaudS damages. the second re-
quires ID guarantee OF future security,
the third q dismissal of the RESPONSE
BILE officials.
The diplomatic corps reserves the
right 10 insist on railway guard
commanded by foreign officers. Stress
is laid on the right, under the pro-
tocol Of 1900. to exact protection for
foreigners and dismissal of negligent
officials
All But Eight Go Free.
The communication suggests two
guarantees which the diplomatic
corps considers necessary in the flu
ture-insisIence on the responsibility
OF military governors and other au-
thoritieS; measures for the protec-
tion of railways and punishment or
officials and employees of railways
guilty of neglect of duty or of COM
pliCity with briEandS."
Individual demands of the Suchow
victims. ii is explained. will be eX- |
amined and formulated by the lega- !
tiOnS interested.
The Shanghai-Peking express train |
on the Tientsin-P -Pukow railway was
seized by the :'endits on May o. More ,
than Il score OF foreign captiveS were
carried into the hills. but some of
them escaped and others were re-
leased, until on June II, when the |
bandits accepted the terms offered
them by the Chinese government,
only eight prisoners remained to be
freed The eight who were held cap |
tive for more than month included |
-FOUR Americans
Other Recommendation.
Other recommendations of the |
corps follow:
That Gen. Chang Wen-Tang. COM |
mandcr of the railway police and re- !
sponsible for the discipline and con- !
duct of the police along the way and !
on trains, shall be dismissed and |
never again intrusted with police |
duty in connection with the railways.
That Chao Teh-Chao. the officer i
commanding the guard on the attack
ed train, who was not in uniform at |
the time Of the attack and took no |
action, allowing himself to be cap
tured, should be dismissed and never /
again employed in police capacity"
In conformity with the provisions |
diplomats reserve the right to order !
the exclusion of the accused officials !
from asylum in concessions. settle :
ments and treaty ports.
Demand Protection.
1t was declared. however. that /,
punishment Of certain officers does !
not adequately satisfy the claims of |
the diplomatic body. The attack on |
the train. capture of the travellers, !
the length of their captivity and the !
measures which had to be resorted to |
to obtain their release prove to the !
world that foreigners do not enjoy !
in China the guarantees of safety to |
which they are entitled" the COM !
munication stated.
Satisfaction for the Lin -Cheng in |
cident. the communication asserted. !;
can be had only in the strict regard /
by all authorities in China for the |
rights of foreigners and for the !
treaties in force, in addition to all |
have determined ito guard closely and !
maintain by all measures within their |
power the defense of these rights and !
the application of the treaties which |
were solemnly confirmed at the time |
OF the final establishment of the !
Chinese republic by official declara-
tion to the legations communicated !
on October s. thirteen days prior to !
publica tion in the same month"
Grave Danger TO China.
The communication continues: The |
diplomatic corps draws attention to |
tutes grave danger TO the whole |
country as well as to the rights and |
interests of foreigners. The diplo- |
matte corps has received admissions |
that the government is aware of re-
cent brigandage in official notifica- |
tions respecting insecurity in certain !
districts from which. on that account |
the foreign Office stated it desired to !
exclude foreigners.
THE government has recently been |
warned that these notification will |
be considered valid only for limited
period. and the corps hereby declares
that henceforth 1t shall consider
these as official recognition on the
part of the government of the ex-
istence of brigandage in the districts
mentioned, and all renewals of said
notifications after the fixed time limit
a official admissions of the govern
ment of their failure to suppress
brigandage in these same districts
wherein it's existence has been de-
MED"
Threaten Further Action.
The corps pointed out that though
China has more soldiers than any
other country, they fail to suppress
brigandage, either because they are
not paid. because they do not make
the effort or because the best troops
are otherwise employed.
The communication concludes: "As
ing as China employs their best
Acoops in civil war, national and
/ovincial. the troops will be diverted