MARAUDING MISSIONARIES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 52, 2 March 1901, Page 5 (Supplement)

MARAUDING MISSIONARIES.

DISGRACEFUL ACTIONS IN CHINA.

Scarcely had the foreign settlements in Tientsin and Pekin been relieved by the arrival of the Allied Forces than a percentage of the missionary colony was keen on the scent of loot. This statement is not made lightly. It is based upon facts which cannot be doubted. However, it requires elucidation.

I shall not undertake to fathom tho morals of the looting of North China by the Allied Troops and foreign residents. It has already gone through several distinct phases, each phase affording infinite variations. In the beginning everybody took what they saw and wanted. This was the phase of unadulterated appropriation, without excuse or reason for excuse. Then officers began to remember that they were supposed to be gentlemen, and orders forbidding individual looting were issued. After a while these orders were enforced, which meant that a soldier had better not let an officer catch him steal? ing. But the officers, and any other people who liked would purchase looted articles from the soldiers, and no questions asked. Thus was inaugurated a purchasing period. This has been modi* fied so gradually that now a stage has been reached where the buying and Belling of loot bears the aspect of legitimate commercial transactions.

In all the loot phases missionaries haye had their share. The day after the Legations in Pekin were relieved a prominent missionary, accompanied by a large number of Christian Chinese, invaded the residence of a prince, and made a big haul. Incidents like this were numerous. When the purchasing period came, missionaries not only attended the sales, but opened loot marts themselves, sending their Chinese converts out to provide the stock. A semi-legitimate colour was given to these transactions by creating out ol the proceeds a fund for the relief of Chinese Christians who had suffered persecution and loss of property at the hands ot their dissenting countrymen. s

"TRIBUTE EXCURSIONS." Even here, where moral perceptions have been blunted by war, conslderabla scandal has arisen out of what are denominated "tribute excursions." A few days after the relief of Pekin missionaries went to the military authorities and, representing that in towns and villages In the vicinity of the capital many natiya Christians were in peril, requested escorts to succour them. In many instances theso escorts were granted, particularly by the British and Americans. In not a slngla instance that I have heard of did these! excursions develop a genuine rescue.

An American cavalry officer who commanded one of the earliest of these ex» peditions thus described it to me;

"The missionary who guMed us, with his Chinese interpreters, made inquiries as we went along, but failed to develop, as far as I could see, any evidence that Christian Chinese had been murdered. The missionary suggested that we burn the first town we came to, and was much put out when I positively refused. He renewed the proposition at other towns, but I told him finally that I was a soldier, not a house-burner and slaughterer of peaceful non-combatants., After that he did not renew the subject, except ohOe, when, as we were leaving a large town, he pointed to a large house, and said it belonged to the brother of one of his

Christian interpreters. \ " 'My interpreter says that his brother is a very bad man,' the missionary told me, and much against the foreigners, and he requests permission to barn his house.'

"Of course, I refused the request of the> loving Christian brother. On another day one of my men shot a Chinaman who attempted to get away With Some loot, severely wounding him. When 1 rode up to inquire into the matter the wounded man was writhing on the ground, while two soldiers were endeavouring to aid him. I sent for a surgeon, but the missionary seemed very impatient at the delay.

" 'Better put him out of his *_'6hy. without any more trouble,' he said. 'I'll do It, if you like,' tapping his gun, for ha was heavily armed.

OF A BUSINESS-.1KB: TURN. "He must have seen my disgust at his proposal, for he did not refer to the matter again, beyond a poor attempt to turn it off as a joke. I think he was in earnest. As we got further to the north W8 xound the towns full of people, who galed on us as If wondering what brought us there. In one of these towns—a walled one—the missionary had a long co_t_6-V ence with some of the leading Chinese. After we left he told me that the citizens of the town had proposed to pay an indemnity to the missionaries for any damage done the property of Christian Chinese if the town would not be burned. It then dawned on me that the missionary had threatened to have the town looted and burned if the Inhabitants did not pay. an indemnity. I was indignant, hut made no comment. v

"During the entire trip I had the greatest difficulty in preventing the Christian Chinese who accompanied the missionary from looting. At the first important town they proceeded to fill their carts. Their conduct left no doubt that they considered loot the real object of the expedition. As soon as my attention was called to their conduct I made them replace the stuff, and told the missionary that if he could not control them I would. After that they confined their looting to articles they were able to conceal. I was glad to reac_ Pekin and be rid of tho outfit." RESCUE PARTIES. Out of this expedition the missionary "tribute excursions" undoubtedly grew.' So-called rescuing parties became merely armed escorts, under whose mailed wHig missionaries collected indemnities from the towns about Pekin. Under fear of having their towns burned, the inhabitants would suffer almost any extortion, and huge sums speedily accumulated in the Pekin mission houses. . .

Now the "tribute excursion" has run Its course. For a month it wended where*, it listed, protected by soldiers who made believe they were engaged in i war. Then the upper military authorities suddenly perceived the blackmail aspect of it, and declined to furnish escorts. As it could not continue business without an escort to bluff with, the "tribute excursion" languished and finally gave up the ghost.

North China is still, nevertheless, at the mercy of any band of either military or civil looters who may choose to wander, plundering as they go, over the country.— Thos. Millard, in the "Daily Mail."