Evening star., 1923-05-26

when the republic trod down the
!, empire eleven years ago and then
split itself into many milk-weak fac
J tions-the bandit began to lose re-
| spect for the foreigner. 1t was five
years before any foreigners were cap
tured, but there had been growing UP
during that time a new brigandage,
class of former respectables trained
to lawlesSness.
Sometimes the beginning of their
laWlessnesS was forced upon them
but, as the scrambled years rolled
them around they became Jesse
Jameses, with an added impulse that
! our hard-riding bandit never knew
Not only is brigandage today among
the most profitable employments in
China, but many of the brigands find
II the best waySof advancing them
selves in military, civil and social
affairs. To use an American parallel
1t is the way to get shoulder straps
without going through West Point.
Army and bandit bands have be-
come allied industries in China in
these years of its new freedom. Sol
diering is not a steady job, owing to
shortage of public funds. and those
| above working at the bandit trade
in seasons of slack army employ
ment.
Usually they practice brigandage
! when they want money and soldering
when they are out for glory. Banditry
is the better business. 1t pays In
cash The bandit gets his ransom
| money. not from the foreign captive
and not from the government OF the
| foreign captive. but from the pro-
vincial governments of his own China
sometimes from the central govern
ment itself.
Thus is money put in the pilfering
purse. When the bandit leader has
made his pile" and wants TO retire
from the stress and strife, he makes
another capture and gets paid in for
giveness of his sins. coupled with
commission in the army, an honora-
| BILE civil position, the privilege OF
collecting certain kind or taxes, or
title to a piece of land where his
lemon love has set her heart on build
ing a bungalow.
Practically every foreigner cap
tured since 1917, when the first rash
foreign bird flew into the net, has
meant an army commission Tor al
least one bandit chieftain.
Sanchow proves, said the familiar
of the far east, that the bandit at last
is getting rampant. Never before mad
| they held up train to erect cap
lures Never before had they shot at
an American official. This time they
shot at a consul, knowing him TO be
one. 1t means worse trouble, just how
bad nobody can tell. That is what
the man who knows China told me-
Then, after all, he suggested pos
sible way of ending IL without wait
ing for China to establish strong
government.
''Of course. you've read about the
great TAPPING rebellion" he said,
when the half-crazy Chinese-Chris-
tian Zealot. making war on the Man
chus and setting himself up as Mes
siah. attached to himself every law
less element over a large part OF
China?
That was back in the middle of the
last century. when born
brigandage rolled down almost TO the
gates of Shanghai. Even imperial
China was unable to protect itself and
had TO ask the aid of foreigners in
getting the bandits under control,
Ward, the American, and Chinese
Gordon of the British army performed
the task of organizing and directing
Chinese force that restored order
Interesting history" l said, but
! how does it help the present situa-
| tion?"
He got up and reached for his hat.
"Oh. nothing" he said, except that
there are plenty of Chinese Gordons
| in the world today-if there is any
| body in China sufficiently sure of his
position to invite them"