494
4
into their former state of squalor, registration of opium smokers is not enforced, and the private preparation of the drug continues unchecked.
MISSIONARY AFFAIRS.
Affrays between Protestants and Roman Catholics at Ningyuan-fu: conditions in the Ch'ien Ch'ang Valley.
Several serious affrays between the adherents of Protestant and Roman Catholic Missions have occurred during the past quarter.
At Ningyuan-fu the chronic ill-feeling between Protestants and Roman Catholics broke out into open violence during the first days of October. A Protestant inquirer was severely beaten by the Catholics, and the former retaliated by waylaying and nearly killing a prominent member of the latter Church, alleged to have been the instigator of the first outrage. The foreign missionaries on both sides warmly espoused their adherents' cause, and the local officials have not yet succeeded in arresting and punishing the culprits, one of whom at least is known to be in hiding in the Roman Catholic Mission at Ningyuan-fu.
About the same time the Viceroy complained to me that Mr. Wellwood, the representative of the American Baptist Mission, was harbouring a convert wanted by the local authorities on various charges of extortion and assault. I explained to the Viceroy that as Mr. Wellwood, although a British subject, was a member of an American Mission, I had no jurisdiction in this case. (Sir Ernest Satow's ruling in his despatch No. 9, of the 13th November, 1905.) I said that I had transmitted a copy of his despatch to the American Consul in Chungking.
It appears that Mr. Bristow received an identical complaint against Mr. Wellwood from the Chungking Taotai, and, being unaware of the attitude I had adopted in the matter, wrote officially to Mr. Wellwood, calling upon him to surrender the man to the Chinese authorities. It was partly with a view to avoiding a similar misunderstanding in the future that I made with Mr. Bristow the arrangement reported in my despatch No. 17, Accounts, of the 21st November, 1907.
In the meantime, both Mr. Wellwood and the Roman Catholic priest at Ningyuan-fu, Père Bourgin, appealed to the French Consul-General and myself, their accounts of what had taken place being, I need hardly say, totally at variance one with the other. M. Bons d'Anty took up the Catholic side of the dispute with characteristic energy, but I did not feel justified in interfering, contenting myself with forwarding copies of Mr. Wellwood's letters to the American Consul, and informing the Viceroy, as opportunity offered, that affairs at Ningyuan-fu were assuming a very serious aspect.
In the beginning of November, Père Bourgin came to Chengtu, ostensibly to lay his convert's case before the high authorities; as a matter of fact, I believe his own superiors admit that his injudicious championship of his adherents, regardless of their innocence or guilt, has done much to embitter the disputes between the two Missions, and with a view to effecting an amicable settlement of outstanding cases, he has purposely been removed from the Chien Chiang Valley for a time. In his absence, Père de Guébriant, a priest of broad views and conciliatory disposition, is doing his best to arrange matters with Mr. Wellwood.
The Chien Chiang Valley is notorious for the turbulence of its inhabitants, of whom a majority are Lolo tribesmen, constantly engaged in fighting each other and the Chinese authorities. To such people the foreign Missions are a great attraction, and I learn from Mr. Wellwood that on more than one occasion whole villages, even tribes, have expressed their desire to turn Christian, and have naïvely placed their fighting strength at his disposal.
5
It is alleged that the French missionaries have not hesitated to take advantage of this state of affairs; it is certain that the number of their adherents has largely increased during the last few years, and their influence is such that the local authorities apparently do not dare to resent their interference in what are often purely Chinese affairs.
The French Consul-General openly states that he has procured the removal of the Ningyuan Prefect, who is, according to Mr. Wellwood, a capable and enlightened official, for having unduly favoured the Protestants at the expense of the Roman Catholics! The interest taken by the French in the Chien Ch'ang Valley has been more than once referred to in these Reports; they make no secret of the fact that they consider the valley as being in an especial degree within their sphere of influence.
French missionaries, Consular and military officers, mining and other experts, are constantly passing up and down the valley; at the present time a military and scientific Mission, under the leadership of a Captain d'Olonne, is on its way to Chengtu from Tachienlu after spending some months on the journey up from Yunnan through the Chien Ch'ang Valley.
It is probable that the valley is regarded as the natural route of the extension of the Yunnan Railway into Szechuan, hence the interest taken in it by the French authorities, and the suspicion and dislike with which they regard the incursion of foreign influence, in the person of Mr. Wellwood with his flourishing school and hospital, in this domain.
My position in regard to this gentleman is a difficult one, as he is a British subject, and both the Chinese and French officials persist in regarding the British Consul-General as the natural protector of him and his works. What little I could do, unofficially, to smooth over his differences with the Roman Catholics I have done, and in the accomplishment of this task, the friendly relations which exist between M. Bons d'Anty and myself have been of some value.
Murder of a Protestant Inquirer at Lung Shui Chen: the Interference of Missionaries in Chinese affairs.
At a place called Lung Shui Chen, in Ta Tsu Hsien, an adherent of the Friends' Mission was murdered by a Roman Catholic on the 25th October last. As far as I can learn, the outrage was the outcome of a family feud, and as the local officials have arrested the murderer, I have not taken any action in the matter.
In reporting the affair to His Majesty's Vice-Consul in Chungking, Mr. Maw, of the Friends' Mission, made use of the following expression: "While we do not insist on the execution of the murderer, I write this for your information, as the case will probably come before you." He added, although he produced no evidence in support of the statement, that this was a test case between Roman Catholics and Protestants.
I have called the attention of the Friends' Mission to what appears to be a misconception on Mr. Maw's part of the jurisdiction of the British Consular authorities in such cases. The case in question is not one of religious persecution, and unless it can be shown that some glaring miscarriage of justice has taken place, neither the Mission nor the Consul have any grounds for interference.
Even were proof adduced that the Roman Catholic Mission were protecting the murderer, that would not, in my opinion, justify us in taking any official action.
I have taken this opportunity to state clearly what I deem to be our position in these cases, because several instances have occurred during the past year where Protestant missionaries who would indignantly deny that they were interfering in any way with the course of Chinese justice have either themselves approached the local officials on behalf of their converts involved in lawsuits, or have requested me to communicate with the higher authorities and urge them to instruct their subordinates to do their duty.
Such action on the part of missionary or Consul is, in itself, interference, and is so regarded by the Chinese. It is, I am aware, freely practised by the Roman Catholic priests and the French Consular officials, and for this reason, we should, I think, be all the more careful to avoid anything that may have the appearance of interference or bringing influence to bear in purely Chinese affairs.
My experience is that our missionaries in this province are, on the whole, deserving of praise for the moderation and tact they display, often under great provocation and in difficult circumstances, and I have reason to know that their attitude is understood and appreciated by the Chinese authorities.
The West China Missionary Conference.
The Delegates to the West China Missionary Conference, which is to be held at Chengtu from the 26th January to the 2nd February, are beginning to arrive. As the influx of some 150 foreigners, with their wives and families, at the time of the Chinese New Year might be misunderstood by the people, I have had a notice inserted in the "Chengtu Daily Gazette," explaining the objects of the Conference, and I have arranged with the authorities that the police shall pay special attention to the streets in the vicinity of the missionary compounds.
The Viceroy has promised to send a deputy to attend the inaugural meeting of the Conference, and he has consented to receive a deputation.
The Conference will be attended by Bishop Cassells, Anglican Bishop of West China; Bishop Bashford, of the Methodist Episcopal Church of America; Mr. Hoste, Director of the China Inland Mission; Dr. Arthur Smith, and other well-known missionary workers.
[2921 s-1]
0
494
4
into their former state of squalor, registration of opium smokers is not enforced, and the private preparation of the drug continues unchecked.
MISSIONARY AFFAIRS.
Affrays between Protestants and Roman Catholics at Ningyuan-fu: conditions in the Ch'ien Ch'ang Valley.
Several serious affrays between the adherents of Protestant and Roman Catholic Missions have occurred during the past quarter.
At Ningyuan-fu the chronic ill-feeling between Protestants and Roman Catholics broke out into open violence during the first days of October. was severely beaten by the Catholics, and the former retaliated by waylaying and A Protestant inquirer nearly killing a prominent member of the latter Church, alleged to have been the instigator of the first outrage. The foreign missionaries on both sides warmly espoused their adherents' cause, and the local officials have not yet succeeded in arresting and punishing the culprits, one of whom at least is known to be in hiding in the Roman Catholic Mission at Ningyuan-fu. About the same time the Viceroy complained to me that Mr. Wellwood, the representative of the American Baptist Mission, was harbouring a convert wanted by the local authorities on various charges of extortion and assault, I explained to the Viceroy that as Mr. Wellwood, although a British subject, was a member of an American Mission, I had no jurisdiction in this case. (Sir Ernest Satow's ruling in his despatch No. 9, of the 13th November, 1905.) I said that I had transmitted copy of his despatch to the American Consul in Chungking. It appears that Mr. Bristow received an identical complaint against Mr. Wellwood from the Chungking Taotai, and, being unaware of the attitude I had adopted in the matter, wrote officially to Mr. Wellwood, calling upon him to surrender the man to the Chinese authorities. It was partly with a view to avoiding a similar misunderstanding in the future that 1 made with Mr. Bristow the arrangement reported in my despatch No. 17, Accounts, of the 21st November, 1907.
In the meantime both Mr. Wellwood and the Roman Catholic priest at Ningyuan-fu, Père Bourgin, appeal to the French Consul-General and myself, their accounts of what had taken place being, I need hardly say, totally at variance one with the other. M. Bons d'Anty took up the Catholic side of the dispute with characteristic energy, but I did not feel justified in interfering, contenting myself with forwarding copies of Mr. Wellwood's letters to the American Consul, and informing the Viceroy, as oppor- tunity offered, that affairs at Ningyuan-fu were assuming a very serious aspect. In the beginning of November Père Bourgin came to Chengtu, ostensibly to lay his convert's case before the high authorities; as a matter of fact I believe his own superiors admit that his injudicious championship of his adherents, regardless of their innocence or guilt, has done much to embitter the disputes between the two Missions, and with a view to effecting an amicable settlement of outstanding cases, he has purposely been removed from the Chien Chiang Valley for a time. In his absence Père de Guébriant, a priest of broad views and conciliatory disposition, is doing his best to arrange matters with Mr. Wellwood.
The Chien Chiang Valley is notorious for the turbulence of its inhabitants, of whom a majority are Lolo tribesmen, constantly engaged in fighting each other and the Chinese authorities. To such people the foreign Missions are a great attraction, and I learn from Mr. Wellwood that on more than one occasion whole villages, even tribes, have expressed their desire to turn Christian, and have naïvely placed their fighting strength at his disposal. It is alleged that the French missionaries have not hesitated to take advantage of this state of affairs; it is certain that the number of their adherents has largely increased during the last few years, and their influence is such that the local authorities apparently do not dare to resent their interference in what are often purely Chinese affairs. The French Consul-General openly states that he has procured the removal of the Ningyuan Prefect, who is, according to Mr. Wellwood, a capable and enlightened official, for having unduly favoured the Protestants at the expense of the Roman Catholics! The interest taken by the French in the Chien Ch'ang Valley has been more than once referred to in these Reports; they make no secret of the fact that they consider the valley as being in an especial degree within their sphere of influence. French missionaries, Consular and military officers, mining and other experts, are constantly passing up and down the valley; at the present time a
5
military and scientific Mission, under the leadership of a Captain d'Olonne, is on its way to Chengtu from Tachienlu after spending some months on the journey up from Yunnan through the Chien Ch'ang Valley. It is probable that the valley is regarded as the natural route of the extension of the Yunnan Railway into Szechuan, hence the interest taken in it by the French authorities, and the suspicion and dislike with which they regard the incursion of foreign influence, in the person of Mr. Wellwood with his flourishing school and hospital, in this domain. My position in regard to this gentleman is a difficult one, as he is a British subject, and both the Chinese and French officials persist in regarding the British Consul-General as the natural protector of him and his works. What little I could do, unofficially, to smooth over his differences with the Roman Catholics I have done, and in the accomplishment of this task the frieudly relations which exist between M. Bons d'Anty and myself have been of some value.
Murder of a Protestant Inquirer at Lung Shui Chen: the Interference of Missionaries in Chinese affairs.
At a place called Lung Shui Chen, in Ta Tsu Hsien, an adherent of the Friends' Mission was murdered by a Roman Catholic on the 25th October last. As far as I can learn, the outrage was the outcome of a family feud, and as the local officials have arrested the murderer I have not taken any action in the matter. In reporting the affair to His Majesty's Vice-Consul in Chungking Mr. Maw, of the Friends' Mission, made use of the following expression: "While we do not insist on the execution of the murderer I write this for your information, as the case will probably come before you." He added, although he produced no evidence in support of the statement, that this was a test case between Roman Catholics and Protestants. I have called the attention of the Friends' Mission to what appears to be a misconception on Mr. May's part of the jurisdiction of the British Consular authorities in such cases. The case in question is not one of religious persecution, and unless it can be shown that some glaring miscarriage of justice has taken place, neither the Mission nor the Consul have any grounds for interference. Even were proof adduced that the Roman Catholic Mission were protecting the murderer, that would not, in my opinion, justify us in taking any official action.
I have taken this opportunity to state clearly what I deem to be our position in these cases, because several instances have occurred during the past year where Protestant missionaries who would indignantly deny that they were interfering in any way with the course of Chinese justice have either themselves approached the local officials on behalf of their converts involved in lawsuits, or have requested me to communicate with the higher authorities and urge them to instruct their subordinates to do their duty. Such action on the part of missionary or Consul is, in itself, interference, and is so regarded by the Chinese. It is, I am aware, freely practised by the Roman Catholic priests and the French Consular officials, and for this reason we should, I think, be all the more careful to avoid anything that may have the appearance of interference or bringing influence to bear in purely Chinese affairs. My experience is that our missionaries in this province are, on the whole, deserving of praise for the moderation and tact they display, often under great provocation and in difficult circumstances, and I have reason to know that their attitude is understood and appreciated by the Chinese authorities.
The West China Missionary Conference.
The Delegates to the West China Missionary Conference, which is to be held at As the Chengtu from the 26th January to the 2nd February, are beginning to arrive. influx of some 150 foreigners, with their wives and families, at the time of the Chinese New Year might be misunderstood by the people, I have had a notice inserted in the "Chengtu Daily Gazette," explaining the objects of the Conference, and I have arranged with the authorities that the police shall pay special attention to the streets in the vicinity of the missionary compounds. The Viceroy has promised to send a deputy to attend the inaugural meeting of the Conference, and he has consented to receive a deputation.
The Conference will be attended by Bishop Cassells, Anglican Bishop of West China; Bishop Bashford, of the Methodist Episcopal Church of America; Mr. Hoste, Director of the China Inland Mission; Dr. Arthur Smith, and other well-known missionary workers. [2921 s-1]
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