THE CRISIS IN CHINA.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7087, 1 May 1901, Page 1

THE CRISIS IN CHINA.

THE TIENTSIN INCIDENT.

ILL-FEELING AMONG THE ALLIES.

WORK OF THE AUSTRALIAN CON-

TINGENTS

' The correspondent of the " Sydney Morning Herald " writes : —

The monotony and quiet of the New South Wales men and the Victorians in the last days in the Far East were rudely disturbed by a dispute with the Russians Over the extension of the railway at Tientsin down to the river, and aho by the riotous conduct of certain French and German troops in Tientsin.

The Russian difficulty wm a comparatively minor matter, but it created much excitement and bitterness of feeling locally, and at one time t3ireatened to develop to something geiious. The Tientsin railway station is 'about two hundred yards from the Peibo, and to enable goods by river boats to be loaded direct into the trucks the British- proceeded to extend the railway to the water's edge. When half the work had been accomplished the Russians objected, on the grounds that the British had invaded territory claimed by Russia) by right of conquest, and to block further encroachments about fifty Russians were placed as a guard across the disputed land, which really, belonged to the bondholders' of the railway. The British at once resented the act, and posted strong detachments of the Hongkong Regiment and the First Madras Pioneers opposite the Russian Guards. Only a foot of neutral ground separated the sentries at the outset, and the ludicrous but novel spectacle of opposing armed sentries actually jostling each other caused a large concourse of people to gather in anticipation of a denouement. This strained and critical state of affairs lasted for several days, and the wonder is that neither side came to blows. General Lord Campbell was instructed to act ir * firm and determined manner, and he took necessary precautions by ordering all Brit-, ish'and' Indian troops in. Tientsin to hold themselves in readiness for any emergency. The Victorians and "A" Battery of Royal Horse Artillery being the only white troops located there, orders were issued for one hundred marines to come up without delay farom the north-west, fort at Taku. Captain Gillespie also received a sudden and unexpected message late on the night of March 19 to send, down as many men of the New South Wales Contingent as he could: spare frdm headquarters in Pekin, and early the' following morning about sixty excited officers and men, under Commander Connor, were despatched by train, eager and willing for anything in the nature of a fight. On the top of these reinforcements the second 'bataJlion, numbering five hundred officers and men, of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, who were relieving the Australians, arrived in the nick of time, amsd two hundred and fifty men intended for Pekia were detained in Tientsin for a couple of days until the trouble for the time being was over.

It was fortunate that the settlement of the contretemps was arrived at-. Th« rioting anid the , unseemly behaviour of the Fwolch soldiers in Tientsin "have "been a source of great annoyance to all Europeans in the concessions, and it increased to an alarming extent. The Victorians policing the British district had a, dangerous and ticklish time of it, handling dlrunken " johnny Darms/' who haidi a nasty habit of drawing their long bayonets when arrested. Street brawls were of nightly occurrence. Several British officers were openly insulted, and it was not until a few soldiers had. been killed and wounded that the French Chief of Staff came .down from Pekin, and after severely reprimanding the officers, ordered the offending regiments to the mud flats near Tongku to meditate in solitude on their wickedness. Some German soldiers also assisted in creating a disturbance, and they left one Victorian for de^d with three sabre oufcs across his head ; but prompt sentences of severe imprisonment had a good effect on their morals. So . satisfactorily didi the Victorians cany out their duties in Tientsin that each man was presented with a testimonial on parchment, oonveying the thanks of the British community for splendid work done in policing the concessions during the occupation of the Allies from September to March.