Evening star., 1937-08-27
In the NO-War Zone.


The serious wounding of Sir Hughe
Knatchdull- -Hugessen, the British Am
bassador to China, by Japanese bombers
near Shanghai may gravely complicate
the international situation in the zone
of the war that is not a war between
Japan and China Sir Hughe was on
his way to Shanghai from Marking
where he went several weeks ago in an
effort to prevent the spread of hostih-
ties between the two powers Yesterday
as he was approaching Shanghai in a
motor car carrying a large British flag,
Japanese planes dived low and opened
fire with machine guns and also loosing
a bomb. Whatever the nature or the
result of the Ambassadors injuries, the
incident may possibly have a bearing
upon the attitude of the British govern
ment toward the melee now in progress
This occurrence brings to mind a
tragedy incident to the Boxer rebellion
Of 1900 when Baron Clemens Auguste
Won Ketteler, Germany's Minister to
China, was slain at Peking, now Peiping
When the late Empress Dowager Tzu
Hsi assumed the reins of government in
1898, making virtual prisoner OF the
infant Emperor, she sanctioned move
ment by extremists to drive the foreigners
out OF China, particularly out of Peking
Village train bands of militia were Or
ganized, who came to be called Box
ers that word being loose translation
of the Chinese name for the title of one
of these groups known as righteous
Harmony Fists" BY the Summer of
1900 the movement had gained such force
that the foreign legations at Peking were
besieged in the legation compound, while
many missionaries of various nationali-
ties in the northern provinces of China
were killed. After much negotiation
between governments an international
force was organized for the relief of the
legation at Peking. In June the for
eigners seized the forts of Taku at the
mouth of the Pei Ho to open the way to
Tientsin and Peking. The Empress
dowager thereupon ordered all foreigners
to be killed.
Owing to mis- familiarity with the Chi
nese language, Baron Won Ketteler was
selected to represent the foreign diplo-
mats in their communications with the
government. While on his way to the
Tsung-li Yamem, or foreign ONCE as it
may be called, short distance outside
Of the legation compound in pursuit of
this endeavor to arrange truce for the
evacuation OF the legations in safety,
he was set upon by Boxers and shot to
death.
The international force captured
Peking on the 18th of August, 1900 The
court fled to Hsianfu and the foreign
troops took complete possession of the
Chinese capital and then proceeded to
relieve scattered groups of missionaries
and Christians who had been standing
siege and to disperse the remnants of
Boxers The killing Of Baron Won Ket-
teller gave the German government
ground for claims for heavy penalties
and one of the consequences was the
later taking of Shantung by Germany.
1t eventually fell under Japanese con-
troll, which lasted until after the Wash
ington Conference of 1922 The siege
OF Peking, or rather of the legations
there, was one of the most dramatic in
cidents of modern history. 1t lasted
nearly two months. During the greater
part of that time there was no commune
cation with or from the beleaguered rep
resentatives of foreign governments and
the people of various nationalities who
had gathered there for security. Wash
ingtonians will well remember the part
played In this affair by the late WI Ting
Fang, then Minister from China at this
Capital, who zealously sought to insure
the safety of the foreigners and who
upon receipt of news of succor joyously
hastened to the State Department with
the glad tidings.