Evening star., 1937-01-24
u. S. Qudrtermaster in China
Tells of Difficulties IN Buying q
Simplest Transactions
Mysterious, Says Gen.
Carmichael, Retired.

No boy is the major domo Of all
families residing in China who hire
servants. He hires the other servants,
does the shopping and. as CRATER,
makes the American brand look like
pikers.
If peddler meditates approaching
The master or mistress of the house
with his wares, it is up to No. l boy
whether he even gets into the COM
pound which surrounds the house.
After the transaction he gets his rake
off from the peddler. It's an accepted
fact If a member Of the household
goes to the city and buys something
No. / boy looks at the goods, notes
where they come from and asks the
merchant for his share Of the proceeds.
At the end of each week, when he pre-
sents his account to his employer, it is
presented in terms of small money"
(silver coinage of small denominations
which is worth 20 per cent less on the
dollar than big money" or Chinese
silver dollars, but is paid by the
master in big money" He pockets the
20 per cent profit as a matter of
course.
No. boy doesn't soil his hands with
work. If coal is to be put on the fire
he is called in, but then proceeds to
tell No. l or No 2 coolie to put coal on
the fire. No. / must never be repri-
manded or criticized in front OF the
other servants, otherwise he will lose
"face" and consequently authority over
them.
CarmichaePs Experiences.
Although best known for his office
of chief of finance, Maj. Gen. Robert
L. Carmichael, retired. reminisced to-
day with an apparently undimmed
memory on his experiences as quarter
master in Tientsin.
Concessions had been granted to
other countries in Chinese cities as
havens for their citizens in troubled
times, especially for missionaries, who
had borne the brunt of the Kaiping
massacre in $780, Although United
States concession had been granted
in Tenstin, we had neglected to make
use of it and it had become no.
mans land for thieves. Great Britain
was asked to take charge of it for
the time being so that it would be
ruled by some authority.
As quartermaster, Gen. Carmichael
paid and fed the troops. He also had
to make transactions with the Chinese
in the course of his stay. In one in
stance, a target range was needed for
our troops and contracts with Chinese
owning the land chosen for the range
we're needed. However, due to the
illiteracy of the peasants, Gen. Car
michael decided to make the deal
through the mayors" of the two
towns in which the land lay. Some
80 individuals were involved. One day
Chinese who had been educated at
Harvard came into the generals Office
and said the landowners had not been
receiving their money. Gen Car
michael and the Harvard man went
down TO the towns in question and
proceeded to pay the mayors" in
the presence of the farmers and to
ask that they pay the latter before
their eyes. One, realizing that his
goose had ceased to lay golden eggs,
paid up. The other, however, took
the money and ran. He was brought
down on the "5-yard line" behind
some native huts by several privates.
Ii San, the generals interpreter, when
asked what the verdict OF the local
Chinese Judge would be, simply said,
Chop off his head" Gen. Carmichael
never did find out whether the execu-
ton took place.
The Penalty for Killing.
This reminiscence on Chinese crimi-
nal law brought to mind another in
stance told him by a friend. No. !
boy in the friends house had wife
who ran of with another man. He
asked for leave to settle the matter,
and returned after several days.
What did you do?" said the friend.
"Me killee both," said No. i.
What will they do to you for that?"
his master asked.
me pay $50 for killee man, me get
paid $50 for killee woman" In other
words. No. made $50 on a double
murder.
Although nearly all provisions used