THE MASSACRE THEORY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LI, Issue 16805, 11 August 1925, Page 8

THE MASSACRE THEORY.

AN EX-GOVERNOR'S IDEA

LONDON, July 4.—ln contrast to the British Socialists allegation that foreign industrial oppression is the underlying cause of the Chinese outbreak, c'omfcs an official report from W. J. Olennell, British Cousul at Foochow, to the foreign office, wherein Olennell outlines the lot of the average Chinese worker, in which he toys: ‘‘Anything he has to put up with, from a harsh or exacting native employer, is a mere trifle beside the fact that 110 is likely any day to be (bagged off by robbers and shot or tortured if ho refuses to boa, slave or produce ransom for a relative. If he escapes he is lucky if he is not seized by a, military press gang.” “NATURAL PROCESS.” -Olennell adds the following almost unbelievable comment: “The recent Governor of Fugien, one General Li Houchi told me Foochow was too ‘crowded to provide a sufficiency for all, but explained this by saying that unlike most parts of ‘China, there had been no massacre for over one thousand years. I wouldn’t s,i.y Li implied that such a massacre was now desirable, hut I think he did consider.an occasional massacre as the .natural weed-ii.g-out check imposed by nature on over. ■popruitioii. “It was only last January, after certain villagers ambushed soldiers enforcing the illegal opium tax that the local commander at llnia.nha.jen, ninety miles from Foochow, revenged them by burning to death 2-COO women and children in their cottages and driving the people out of eighty other villages.” Had this not been an. official report, it would undoubtedly be held a myth.