THE CRISIS IN CHINA.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11993, 16 March 1901, Page 7

THE CRISIS IN CHINA.

NEGOTIATIONS AT A STANDSTILL. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, March 15. (Received March 16, at 0.29 a.m.) Renter's Shanghai correspondent states that the negotiations, between the foreign Ministers and China are reported to l>s suspended owing to the Manchurian Convention. Mr James Adam, of Bon Awwil, has received a letter {torn the Rev. John Macintire, who, with his wife and four daughlere, had to fly from Manchuria when the Boxers were loci inlc the district of Haiclteng. Mr Macintire, who is now in Edinburgh, after witnessing tlio \york of Russians in Man* clmrin, has formed a high opinion of them. As lite views are not tlie generally accepted views of the actions and motives of Rwsians, the following extracts from his letter will be of interest: — Our news irom China is good, Two months after the Russian* wore driven out of Haiclienpt they wore hack again as conquerors. Yet they bore our Chinese no grudge, as the troubles were not due to local feeling. A fortnight or so before I left the Russian doctor was seeing 100 Chinese patients dailyhalf of them being women,—and they ran a public free hospital just as I do in the mission. My native evangelists followed the Russians, and even had passport? from them, and now all my work is going on as before— not, of course, my wife's work, which was among the women. The evangelists have rigged out ono of our school buildings (which is rented, and so was not destroyed by the rabble), and have now suitable headquarters and a place of worship. They found all expenses out of their own salaries, even though everv man lost his all in the riots. They did all this at their own instance, and away from foreign supervision, Now I have the gratification of hearing from a foreigii colleague, who moans to represent me in Haicheng, that comparatively few of my converts have recanted. lam glad lo pay my agents, both men and women, have stood the test admirably. They did (ho right tiling—loft their property and secured their perron*. Two shopkeepers in ITaicheng rmiat have lost thousands of dollars, but their motto was: " Perish pnlf, and live- conscience." My wife's senior girls arc all accounted for—no recantations. They lived among the hills, and wandered (rre.ifc distances, being in flight for nearly three months. All tlio women and girls speak of tlio order and discipline which prevailed wherever the Rußsiuns wero quartered, so don't take in all you hear about Russian atrocities. I had one member brutally shot in his own court by a party of five Copsacks who were on the loot, and had no busjne?s to be near tlie place; but where the Russians hnve reoccupied the country they have guaranteed protection, apd they mean peace. My brother-in-law, Dr Ross, returns to Moukden this sprincr—in February or March,—and we liopo to follow in autumn. Wn have no house to go to, no blankets, no book?, and while at home on furlough we had £100 deducted from our solarie«. Yet you never tm> us so happy and so full of ro. The girls all insist on going back, and'mv wife cannot think of herself as ablo to endure life'anywiero else. Clearly we need, we want, no sympathy, and our joy has never been dashed.