A FAMOUS CORRESPONDENT.

Evening Post, Volume LX, Issue 102, 27 October 1900, Page 5

A FAMOUS CORRESPONDENT.

INTERVIEW WITH DR. MORRISON. (From Our Special Correspondent in China.) PEKIN, 10th September. Dr. G. E. Morrison, correspondent of The Times at Pekin looked up and pushed across to me the newspaper he was reading. It was a copy of The Times containing his own obituary, two columns in length. "It is a strange experience to read my own obituary notice," he said, with a smile. And ifc must* have been an experience as pleasant as it was rare, when the first journal in the world speaks of Dr. Morrison" in such, terms as these : •—"The extraordinary value of his telegrams . . . showed some of the highest gifts of statesmanship in a degree which savoured of genius." The- Pekin correspondent of The Times is a man of 38, tali, muscular, well built, nervously energetic in his movements. His face is that .of a clever business man, tiis expression alert, and his manner de.- ■ cisive, the keenness of his features being softened by eyes that have not forgotten humour. He is an Australian, born at Gee'long, and has, been q, wanderer since b4s boyhood. He bsgan by shipping as an, ordinary seaman to tjie Sou,ih. Sea Islands, to study the Kanaka traffic. He has walked Australia- from.' -Normanton to Geelong, and across China from Shanghai to the JJmmege frontier. He has been wounded by native spears and left for dead in JSew Guinea, he has shipped as an emigrant to Philadelphia, he has walked rpund Jamaica; he W an Edinburgh M.B. o^d C,M. ; he has been an assistant purser op a steamer, and a. Court Physician at Morocco, and resident surgeon in charge of the Baharat" Hospital. He is the author of "An Australian in China" ; he knows Siam, Japan, Manchuria, Weaj and since 1897 he has been correspondent at Pekin for the great London daily. The words applied to him by Tne Times seem to strike the right note— "An Australian by birth, he brought to the service of The Times and to the furtherance of British interests in the Far East the deep and sustained enthusiasm for the greatness of tho Empire which has so conspicuously distinguished our great self-governing colonies." Dr. Morrison has suffered both in person and property by the siege of the Legation. He was on the wall with Captain Strouts, 11. M.L.1., examining the enemy's fortifications, when they were both hit by Boxer bullets. Captain Strouts was' mortally wounded in the groin, and Dr. Morrison was shot ir the leg. His house (from which, under heavy fire, he rescued nis valuable library) was burned by the Boxers. At present he is residing in a Chinese house in the Imperial City. It was lin the open courtyard of this house that I had a talk with him upon the subject he knows so well. " Supposing," I asked, " the allied Chinese Expedition were regarded as a test campaign for the various nations taking part in it, lioav do you. think the Powers have proved themselves?" ."The most astonishing thing in the campaign," he replied, "has been the revelation to every one of tha wonderful power of Japan. Their endurance.,, their organisation, their equipment, 'their transport, their commissariat, their" military genius— all are marvellous." "And the Russians?" I asked. "The Russians," said Dr. Morrison, "have carried oa war here in th© full view of the European Powers in a way that we do not consider consistent with the methods of civilised warfare. The astounding brutality of the Russian sol*

dier, the murder and unspeakable treatment of women reported by all the correspondents has been a surprise to us who admire the wonderful progress and fine qualities of the great Russian people." "And the French?" "Franco has sent here," he said, "a regiment— that from Tonquin— that cannot be regarded as her best." " But it is not fair," I said, " to judge' the French from this one sample?" " No," he replied, " the present force, which has done so little towards the accomplishment of the objeits of the expedition, is merely a- makeshift. On the contrary, the French marines, who were hero durincr the siege acted splendidly. They were well disciplined and well led. The Germans were conspicuous throughout the siege for their bravery, and afforded us magnificent help, being led by a young officer of especial abilityGraf Soden." "And the British and Americans?" I asked. "We needn't say anything about them. We all know how they fight." I then asked Dr. Morrison's views as to the immediate future. Would the troops now quartered in the city remain for the winter, or retire while the river is free from ice?" " The Japanese," he replied, " may possibly remain here indefinitely, but the Russians certainly won't. As for the ] talk of the Americans and British withdrawing, these two forces must certainly remain: here. If they go it will be a crime. It will mean the murder of all the Christians. And our interests in Northern China are too great for us ever to relinquish." "A word as to the worth of missionary effort, doctor. Since my arrival in China I have frequently heard the work of the missionaries deprecated. Is that attitude a fair general one?" Dr. Morrison looked surprised. "The missionary work in China," he said emphatically, "is of the highest value, and individually the converts were of sterling worth. During the siege they behaved excellently. I went out with a party that collected 800 native Christians and took them to shelter in the Legations. My servants are all Christians." "And your servants stuck to you right through?" "Well," Dr. Morrison smiled. "I stuck to them. If the Christians had not stood up for us v during that terrible tune we would' nob have pulled through the siege." "Now, coming to the root/ of the trouble," I said, "can you tell me the reason of the action of the Chinese Imperial Party, and what was the reason for the failure of that action? If the Dowa-ger-Empress deliberately meant' to exterminate the foreigner, why did she not go on and do so? She had a plethora of troops at her command ; it seems as if she could have overwhelmed the Legations." "The plot," said the doctor, after a pause to digest my string of questions, was a deliberate one, carried out by the Chinese Government. The intention was to massacre the foreigners. The Boxer outbreak was directly encouraged and fostered by the Chines© Government." || But it failed." "Yes, because the Chinese troops utterly failed to take the Legations. The defence was exceptionally fine. But there can be no question that the attack was deuoerately planned, and carried out with the utmost determination. There M-as no liaif-heartedness in the way they shelled the Legations. I went through the siege, and I assure you I have no doubt as to the reality and continuity of the attack." # But," I objected, " the Empress sent in- fruit and food to the Legations." Dr. Morrison laughed. "Twenty melons, one bag of flour — which no one touched,, for fear of poison— and 24 blocks of ice. That was all ; and then they had the cheek to telegraph to all the Governj ments that they were supplying the garrison with provisions." "But the Chinese soldier is a brave man?" The doctor assented. "A brave man, and well led by his, officers. Look at the fortifications they constructed about? the Legations. No European engineer could have done better work." I turned to politics. "Are we well represented here?" I asked. ."Most ably," was the 'reply. "By a 1 Minister of special capability, who taker/ the greatest interest in his -work. But ™t we complain of is that Sir H±aile Mac Donald's actions are nob sufficiently backed up by the Foreign Office.'' ' v o", There is one thin S more," I said. Iho constitution of the Chinese mind •is the most puzzling factor in. the problem tof the Far East. You have bad some acquaintance with tho Chinese.. Can you tell me whether the campaign has altered the opinion of intelligent Chinese as to the position and power of the British Empire?" " You want to know what the Chinese think of England?' Dr. Morrison smiled. ' Then you had better interview my No< 1 boy'Vthat is the term in Chinese for one's chief servant. "And your 'boy'" % said, "will say I exactly what he thinks you wish him- to say?" "Exactly," he said.