Evening star., 1937-08-15
j. S.P[AYED ROLE
IN CH|NA'S EPOCH
Boxer Rebellion of 1900 Ap.
parent|y Reopened In
yaders' Cycle.
NJ the Associated Press

ana rebull0S IL 10 ms VIII.
It may be, these students say, that
the japanese are cast in some such
historical role today with their armies
spreading over the Northern provinces
and already in control Of Peiping, one
of the principal cities.
II this is true the United States as
we'll as Japan has played an important
part in the modern cycle Of the an
Gent country. Thirty-seven years ago
yesterday American forces and troops
of European nations and Japan helped
to open the door to the Dragon Land
By crushing China's single great effort
to put an end to foreigners within her
borders. A faction known as Boxers
their Chinese name meant righteous
Harmony Fists'-had set out to rid
the country OF foreigners.
Manchu Dynasty Dies.
The tramp of troops marching
through the gates of Peking on August
IA. 1900. fell upon the twilight Of one
period of Chinas greatness. the period
Of the Manchu dynasty. A few years
later. following the death of the reign
by young republic that has struggled
since to restore national unity and
strength.
The capture of Peking for the relief
OF hundreds of foreigners trapped
within its walls was not the first time
that city had fallen before foreign
foe. A thousand years earlier Tar
tar tribe had crushed it and called 1t
Marking, or Southern Capital. Centur-
les later it fell successfully to Genghis
Kahn and Kublai Khan and the
Manchus who in 1643 named it Peking
or Northern Capital.
After the modern Marking, farther
to the south, became the capital of
the republic. the name OF Peking was
changed again, this time to Peiping,
Northern Peace"
More War Than Peace.
OF peace. however, its history shows
not so much as of war.
At the time of the Boxer uprising
China had suffered several seasons of
drought and the people, hungry and
discomfort, were ripe for an uprising.
Blaming their troubles on the foreign
ers, they began to destroy foreign
property.
From this their wrath turned upon
Chinese Christian converts, whom
they called secondary foreign devils"
and then upon missionaries. With the
close of 1899 an English missionary
was killed and the Boxer movement
began to roll with tidal violence over
North China.
BY May, 1900. the wave of destruc-
ton was coverging upon Peking and
Tientsln. From the latter city an
tnterna tional force of 400 men was
dispatched to Peking to guard the
legations.
About that time United States
Minister E. H. Conger wrote the State
Department that famine was a major
factor in the unrest. If the rain,
now commenced, continues copiously,
I spprehend we will hear little more
Of the Boxers" he said. But rain
came too late.
Additional Troops Trapped.
On June 10 an additional guard of
320o men started from Tientsin to
Peking Chinese railway officials,
forced to furnish trains to carry the
troops. had the track torn up IS miles
from Tientsin. When the troops
cached there the line behind them
also was cut and 180 of their number
were wounded. They were isolated
for 10 days until relief column from
Tentsin succored them and they
fought their way back.
Conditions in Peking grew rapidly
more tense. On June 20 Baron Won
slain. At noon all missionaries in the
city crowded into the United States
Legation, but later that was evacu
ated except for a skeleton guard, and
all foreign civilians were crowded into
the British Legation. There were 300
women and children about 100 civilian
men and 100 soldiers. Another 300
soldiers guarded the other legations
From that day until July II the
foreigners were under constant fire
The British Legation became fort
with raised walls, bombproof cellars
and tunnels to prevent mining. Silk
curtains and table linens we're turned
into sandbags. At one time all the
people had to eat was a half portion
OF horsefesh.
Foreign ENJOYS Wary.
About the middle of July the Chi
nese foreign Office invited the besieged
Ministers to conference They de-
clined, fearing an ambush. While
the firing continued, somewhat less
ened, the Chinese government sent a
small supply of fruit and three bags
of flour to the legation.
It later developed that this meager
offering was evidence of division Of
feeling in the Chinese court. Some
advisers wanted to restore friendly
contacts with the legations. Others
wanted to wipe them out, and so the
fighting continued for another month.
In Tientsin, also, there had been
fierce fighting. Among those in the
foreign colony were young Mr.. and
Mrs. Herbert Hoover. The story is
told that Mrs Hoover, working at the
hospital, fed several babies milk from
her COW, which had but recently
borne a calf
One day the COW disappeared and
the future President of the United
States set out to look for it. He led
the calf in the hope that its bawling
might bring an answering moo" In
this he was not disappointed, but
when he knocked on the gate Of q
strange compound to ask for his COW
he was met by soldiers with bayonets
who, according to the story, not only
refused to give him the COW, but tool
the calf.
Tientsin Finally Quieted.
When quiet was restored in Tientsir
on July is there were about $4,000
soldiers Of various nations on hand
A large detachment was dispatched *
Peking.
In the capital city the siege hae