Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-15


sharp curved swords-were encampeo
just outside the high southern wall OF
Peking.
Wires Discovered Cut.
The first intimation of trouble came
when the legations found that the tele-
graph wires had been cut and they
were out of communication with the
world. A Japanese legation secretary
volunteered-since none of the others
were willing to offer-to leave for
Tientsin and inform his government
that danger threatened. Unarmed, he
walked out of the gate A few moments
later he stood facing a band of men
with those sharp, curved Boxer swords.
without trial they thoughtfully Topped
of his arms, his ears, then his head.
The Chinese government threw up its
hands and advised the legations that
it could no longer protect them If they
remained. They must pack and leave
at once~for Tientsin. 1t promised them
an escort. The ministers plenipoten-
tiary met in conclave to discuss the Of
fer. TO weigh the obvious danger of
being massacred-were such an I'M
wieldy caravan to leave the small
shelter they poss2ssed-against the
chances of gaining Tientsin 80 miles
distant Ninety miles of thoroughly
hostile country!
Several of the legates grew hysterical.
In the midst Of their argument Baron
Won Kettler, the German Minister, rose
and announced that he had an APP
pointment with the Chinese foreign
ONCE. He would go to Tsung Ii Yamen
and demonstrate with him. The others
attempted to dissuade him. He replied
bluffly that he had no intention of al
lowing the government of China to
think fear had kept him from meeting
his appointments. Without escort, but
in his official red and green sedan
chair, he calmly set forth.
An hour later his outrider, badly
wounded, staggered into Legation street.
A volley had been fired upon the chair
of Baron Won KettleT Kidding it. The
Minister had been seen to slump sharp
ly forward Won Kettler never re-
turned
After that demonstration of Chinese
treachery no more was said of fleeing.
Unlike the Chosen People out of Egypt,
the legations felt that they could place
no dependence upon miracles.
They were further hampered by the
influx OF foreigners dwelling in Picking
merchants and missionaries-and by
hundreds upon hundreds of Chinese
who had "eaten the foreign religion"
The converts brought with them hair
raising, blood-curdling stories of Boxer
atrocities perpetrated upon Christian
converts. Some of them were stark
mad from the horrors they had wit
messed Many bore on their bodies the
wounds Of the Harmonious Fists" as
the Boxers called themselves.
Cathedral Set Afire.
Then, while the legations were still
TYnRnFfQtn whether thew mould flp
sieged or whether the menace would
vanish like an evil dream, great arrow
OF fame arose to the east. The Tung
Tang, the East Roman Catholic Cathe-
dral, was set afire. Since the cathedral
was known to be packed and crammed
with Chinese converts, a group of vol
unteers was organized to attempt res
cue. Soldiers, missionaries, legation Sec
rectaries, commercial men, they set out,
heavily armed.
A rescue Of sorts was effected, a few
priests and converts being found. But
the FIRE had gained too much Roadway
TO be extinguished. The volunteers dis
covered that the blaze had been started
by the simple expedient of trusting the
converts, pouring oil over their bodies
and then lighting these human torches.
The burning Of the cathedral seemed
to be signal. Night after night, fol-
lowing that, flames rose along the hori-
IONS of the low built city Missionaries
and commercial folk helplessly watched
their distant homes vanish in lurid
ochre smoke. And when the wind
shifted they could hear the deep, blood
curdling roar of the Boxers, reiterating
the two words, "Sha-Shao" c'Kill-
Burn!'D
stin more Chinese converts staggered
into the legations, their tales rising in
L. - L. 80
foreigners, cautiously penetrating near
by side lanes, found several of the mar
row hutungs. TO be impossible. They
were piled shoulder high with mutt
lated bodies. Boxer victims.
The legations began feverishly TO
build barbados. Priceless Oriental
tapestries, old dragon embroidered
coats, scarves and ceremonial altar
cloths, all were ruthlessly sacrificed to
make sandbags. Night and day. the
women of the legations worked on these.
On two sides the legations were walled.
But the great city wall on the south,
menaced by the higher gate towers OF
Hata and CHEN Men, which were held
by the Boxers. The north wall was that
Of a palace Of a Manchu prince. 1t
abutted the japanese legation. At FIRST
1t was thought that the palace wall
would be defense but the Japanese
soon found that their neighbor, the i'm
periai prince, was harboring scores
upon scores Of Boxers. At some dis
lance from the wall, therefore, they
threw up breastworks. Their force was
pitiahly small vedettes of but two or
three men at 50-foot intervals-and an
army 70 oppose.
Barrier Of Sandbags.
The eastern and western faces Of the
Segation quarter were completely I'M
protected. The western area was man
he'd by Americans and Russians, whose
LEGATIONS were nearby. They made a
barrier of sandbags and overturned
Pexing carts. At the eastern face lay
the Italian legation. Here were dumped
more sandbags and carts.
The Ministers squabbled painfully
among themselves. Each refused TO give
up an iota Of his prerogatives. FJr a
time none would permit his portion OF
the defense TO be put in the hands OF q
single generalissirno. Finally 1t was
agreed that an Austrian colonel, the
highest ranking soldier among the de-
tense forces, should take command.
The Austrian signslized his rise TO
power by abruptly ordering that the
Italian legation to the east be aoan.
doned. To be given up without shot
being fred by the enemyl Before an
inner line Of defense could be erected
The order was so supremacy aSinine
that even the Chinese could not credit
It and did not take advantage Of the
fatal opening. A quick massing OF only
a tenth Of the Boxer forces at that
moment and the siege would have been
over, the legations captured
The remainder of that night and day
euTsing men toiied feverishly 70 build
the necessary inner defense. When the
Chinese finally discovered that the
italian legation had been abandoned
they set FIRE to it. The FIRE spread
and threatened the entire quarter. The
British legation-located in the very