CHINA: Celestial Banditry

From an imperfect deluge of twisted information that has been showered upon the world, a few facts stand out backed with some evidence of authenticity. One is that a Peking-Shanghai train was derailed near Tsinan, capital of Shantung province, and approximately 150 foreigners were captured by bandits. Another is that the Peking Government, while able to exert only a shadow of authority over the land, accepted the brigand’s terms for the return of their captives. These terms include immunity from prosecution and incorporation in the Chinese National Army. Some of the victims are to be released at once, and the remainder after the bandits’ agreement with the Peking Government has been carried out.

As to the circumstances of the prisoners themselves, reports are as numerous as they are contradictory. The Peking Government states that it has sent food and clothing to the captives, but there is no news to hand that these unfortunates have received them. Another report states that the captives are having a “wonderful time”; the British think it is a ” topping excursion “; the Yanks are doing ” durned fine “; the Italians ” facendo una festa”; the Japs and the Chinks, with their oriental stoicism, say nothing. Then a charge of tragedy is shot into the practical joke when it is announced that the captives are dying of hunger or exposure. On the whole, it seems that the captive foreigners are not likely to be badly treated now that the bandits have come to an agreement with the Government.

It is undeniable that the bandit chief is dealing fairly in the matter of ransoms. A report from Shanghai gives out that all foreigners, who must, of course, be rich, have been assessed at $50,000 apiece. The Chinese, of whom approximately 100 were taken, are classified according to the class in which they were traveling: for first class passengers $30,000 is demanded; second class, $10,000; other classes, $2,000.

The bandits themselves are deserted soldiers from the armies of the Tuchuns (Military Governors). It is even possible that they are given “bandit furlough” in order that they can recoup themselves for their unpaid services to the Tuchuns. In any event, they are not a body of desperate characters, but a small, disciplined army.

From another source comes a despatch stating that General Feng Yu-Hsiang, known as the “Christian General,” is about to exterminate the bandits with the legendary ” one fell swoop.” In the face of official reports from Peking there is probably not a word of truth in this contention. The Washington Post, in an editorial, humorously sums up the character of the Christian hymn-singing army: ” An American officer reported that he had heard Chinese soldiers on the march singing to the tune of Onward, Christian Soldiers, but the words meant something different. They sang the Doxology at meals, but the words referred to the duty of every Chinese to save his country from decadence and obliteration. Morning and evening they sang Hark, the Herald Angels Sing, but the words were equivalent to ‘ Save your ammunition.’ The Eleventh Division (known as the Crack Eleventh) often sang Bringing in the Sheaves, the words of which had the same meaning as the American doughboy’s slang phrase, ‘ Get your man.’ “