A CHINA CAMPAIGN

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19767, 15 February 1927, Page 6

A CHINA CAMPAIGN

ECHOES OF BOXER RISING ADDRESS TO ROTARY CLUB Experiences with naval landing parties engaged in China during the Boxer rising 27 years ago were related to Wanganui Rotarians yesterday by Mr H. Williams, manager o His Majesty’s Theatre. When his ship was called to China from Australian waters, said Mr Williams, all the sailors grew beards, as a precaution against quinsy, and on arrival at Hongkong they were mistaken for Boers by many people. Later they found that the beards had little to do with susceptibility to quinsy. Some then got rid of the superfluous whiskers, but others decided to preserve them as valued adornments.

In the course of the campaign it was found that tho advance reports, stating that the European population had been cruelly slain, were largely untrue; but in the actual fighting area many missionaries were rescued from the rebels. Others had been murdered, or subjected to unspeakable atrocities. For these crimes 32 Chinese were executed, after a trial in which they were given the benefit of every principle of British justice. At the close of the campaign a ticklish situation arose through difficulties with the Russian troops engaged in the campaign along with the other foreign units. Actual conflict was only avoided through Major-General Lome Campbell, whose Superb li bluff” caused the Russians to withdraw from the territory in dispute. Discussing the Chinese as fighters, Mr Williams said he formed the impression that, under the influence of disciplined soldiers, such as the Russian officers now training the Cantonese, they would become excellent fighting men. Evidence of what could be achieved with them was the famous regiment formed by General “Chinoso" Gordon, later killed at Khartoum, whoso mon were of tho finest physical stamp. As far as tho units in China at tho time of tho Boxer rising were eoneerned, tho palm of superiority had boon nwavdod by a Gorman general to the Australians, Ho himself believed, hawavar, that tho Gormans were the fiaCßt troops in China at that time, and tho Russians were certainly the worst. ;