A CONTRABAND CARGO.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 12014, 15 October 1904, Page 7

A CONTRABAND CARGO.

LONDON, October 13. When seized, the steamer Fuping was flying the German flag. The bulk of her cargo was ammunition. JAPANESE VALOUR. VOLUNTEERS FACE CERTAIN DEATH. AN INCIDENT AT LIAOYANG. SYDNEY, October 14. The."Morning Herald's" special correspondent gives a vivid description of Japanese valour at the battle of Liaoyang. Hie Japatieeo had occupied a. position fronting the Russians, and during the night had thrown up trendies for cover until the psychological moment when to hurl themselves against the betrenchel hill, under the ehield of.friendly clouds. The jaded teams of artillery luxreee had , dragged the heavy Arisalca field pieces to the stations. All this woe done silently and swiftly, and directly tho day dawned nerve-shattering shells began to scream. But something had tiappened before this. At the foot of a email hill there were entanglements baited with wire within point-blank range of tho Russian trenches. Aβ long as those entanglements stood! the infantry of ihe Japanese division could not make an assault, except under an appalling disadvantage. Volunteers were called for. Their mission was to cut the wires; in other words, to voluntarily expose tliemselves to almost certain death. Those selected were the envy of all their fellows. As the day broke, the scattered line <if volunteers began to creep through tho kaioting, which had been cut about a foot above the ground by the Russians, so that the advance of the Japanese troops might be expawxl. Closer and closer they drew to the entanglements, their numbers growing steadily lean under the concentrated fire. Only ten were left a few feet from the entanglements, and these, clinching their wire-cutters, etraightened themselves up, and charged at the double. The heroes managed to hack some strands of barbed wire before they were «hot t-> pieces. About fifteen of the whole number of volunteers managed to drag themselves back to their regiments. THE OHUNCHUSES OF MANCHURIA. Much is being written with little knowledge about the so-called " Red Beards " of Manchuria, says "The Times," so perhaps one who has for many years wandered over the country which has been more or 100 continuously infested by.thceofgwitry may be allowed to correct a few of the misconceptions prevalent on the subject They are not a tribe of Tartar*, aaid they are rarely met with where the Mongol princeH have control; they do not live in yqrts, or oval felt tents, us pictured in a recent illustrated paper. are simply Chinese who di«like regular employment; many .indeed, are disbanded soldiers. They nevtr dye their beards, for tho simplereason that, with very rare exceptions, no Chinaman can grow a beard, being of anything but a hairy complexion. The names seems to have been originally a tttm of contempt for the early Dutch and English traders who are always, on old pictures ohown with fierce red beards and called pirates. The robber bands of Manchuria were first designated Hu-tzu, or " Beards, , ' because it was commonly said that the more they were beheaded the more numerous they grew. Later, owing to their daring, the word hung was added, meaning red, a colour favoured by the mili-

taxy, and thus associated with the word heng, meaning fierce. Tlie regular bends are always addressed as Lao-yeh or *' gentJemen." They etylo thenwolvw Chi-ma ti or "Riders." It is tlw Russianieed form of Hung-hu-tzu, which has nftn Anglicwed into Chunchuees. The. Russians have applied tho term "Red Beards" promiscuously to all kinds of bad characters with whom oven no Lao-yeh woaJd ev*r think of associating. They have, however, al*o employed, in conjunction with tho local Mandarins, a* police soldiers some of the better natives who were disbanded, 'with largo amtus of pay duo to them, efter tlw Boxer trouble. These formed quit*, formidable hosts*, and levied toll on the common people; they were joined by all sorts of vagabonds, and became a scourge. In due course theeo huge banUs were broken up by- the Russians, many of tlioso who hod been regular soldiers accepting pardon from the 'local Mandarine and then enlisting aa soldier police. <The Russian "officials have bcTi I too wise to trust the common robbers, who have no principle or conscience, and tA.« Japanese would etill less dream of trusting them. Manchuria, however, no doubt ewarme at tWs time with footpads, who ; would ne\XT fight for their countrj', but. in common with most of tlie natives, wouM enjoy killing and robbing tlie Russians if such could be done with impunity. There is another side to bo considcml. Tho central government of China nowhere strong. In a land which hns .. naturally indu«triou» and peaco-lov-ing population, like. Manchuria, where all Un> horrors of war liave been let lootie, causing unspeakable misery to the natives, can it. ba wondered at if, eooner or later, in d«peration, large numbers should go out ami join their old comrades, the disbanded regulars of four years ago? Especially if they are once convinced that fate is against the Russians, who are , -looked upon as tho invaders of their country nnd tho direct cawo of their misery, they may well become, whether the Japanese encourage them or not, important auxiliaries on tlie Japanese side. There are thousands, even of rich and patriotic Chinese, who are chafing under the fact that they dare not' themselves help their-Japanese deliverer?, but who would supply funds for organising their humbler brethren who dare. The Japanese .ore a proud and high-minded nice, but they can luirdly 1* expected deSnitely to discourage the natives from fighting on their behalf. TJio Russians have, always endeavoured .to -seize and destroy the arms with which tho predatory bands have overawed the peaceable people, but they were never o.bK» to lay hands upon the large quantities' of arms and ammunition which the Chine*) Government lost, and which was spattered nnd safely hidden after the Russian occupation in 1900. These- stores tlie "patriots" will now find available. Much might be said about the pne-Boxer " Red Beards," about the rules and customs of the regular "Ridem" as die tinguished from Ihe ordinary robbers, about tho so-called blackmail, or rough-and-ready insurance offices for tlie protection of merchandise and travellers, and about tho various secret eocietiee which were-, and possibly are, mixed up with lawlessness. But as'for the bulk of tho common people in Manchuria., their chief deeire Iβ ?or peace and safety.