Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-12-21
Chinese Disorder

in Shantung. Their operations were
In the same region where Americans
and other foreigners were captured
from the Picking express train by
bandit gang. At that time this
American company was employing
more than twenty-thrte thousand
workmen, many of whom belonged
to the bandits. Yet the company sent
something like a million dollars ia
silver out TO It's men, by train, boat
and even on wheelbarrows, without
| losing a dollar. The bandit leaders
explained this by saying that they
considered the Americans good peo-
pie and as they were employing SO
| many OF their friends they would not
think OF robbing them.
The bsnditry. and the extravagant
| taxes levied by the militarists out
side the treaty ports ara driving
| many rich Chinese to the protection
OF the foreign settlements. Many CT
them are selling out their properties
and moving into Shanghai and other
coast cities. Those who possess largo
fortunes are now investing their
| money in business in the treaty ports,
| where they are protected by the pres
tige and power of the foreign govern
ments. This is one of the reasons for
the great grswth of Hongkong, Han
kow, Shanghai. and other cities.
Some of the Chinese have sold their
business properties to foreigners, be-
Iieying they Will thereby be in less
danger of plundering and confiscation-
All of the open ports Of China
where we have any missionaries or
do any business are now under guard
OF American gunboats. We keep some
at Canton, and there are always 9TH
ers at Shanghai. Six hundred miles
up the Yangtse River, or as far from
it's mouth as from Washington to
Cleveland, q squadron of our light
draft naval vessels bases on Hankow.
Even further UP the river we have
gunboats to protect q line OF Aneri
can steamers that operates through
the gorges of 1chang, and on up to
ChengkinE two thousand miles from
the ocean. Uncle Sam feels that any
thing may happen in this part of the
world just now and he is carefully
watching over Americans wherever
they can be protected by our naval
guns.
The conditions on the waters OF
China ARE in some respects even
worse than those on the land. It
seems strange indeed to think Of pirates
In these days of the twentieth century.
Il takes one back to the buccaneers, to
Henry Morgan, Sir Francis Drake,
and even more to Capt. Kidd and one
legged John Silver, the hero or Ste-
venson's Treasure Island" But there
really are pirates upon many OF tho
rivers in China and along its coast,
and every now and then they capture
a vessel and rob all the passengers.
1 have before me as write par
tial list of some Of the actual cases
of piracy reported during the last 10
months For example, st was only a
few months ago when the English
steamer running nightly from Hong
kong to Canton was overrsln by p4-
rates. Some OF them got aboard az
passengers and others took jobs aH
stewards. While the vessel was at
sea a signal was given ana every
pirate produced revolver or rife and
began shooting. On the steamer was
a guard OF East Indian SikhB, who
succeeded in killing a number OF the
pirates and kept them from captur-
ing control OF the ship.
Copyright, 1924. Carpenters World Travelss1t