214
THE SHANSI ATROCITIES.
(Daily Press, 18th March.)
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
-
March 16, 1901.
nsed. We can conceive no excuse which | makes the situation look serious is that the various evangelising bodies can bring the British military authorities are forward for their part in the death of 28 parently making a strong stand. The Some discussion has arisen in Shanghai over British, 16 Swedish and 8 Ainerican children, recent history of events at Tientsin has ex
hibited Great Britain for the most part acquiescing in the ignoring of her subjecte' interests rather than risk a quarrel. The present display of vigour seems to indicate either a change of policy or that the agres- sion of our Russian allies was very gross, The Railway Company bas suffered so much
the publication of details hitherto with held of the Shansi atrocities in July and August last. The articles giving these details appeared in the North-China Daily News, and our contemporary in reply to a correspondent writing over the title of "Disgusted," speaks as follows:-"Such details and many more
have been in and they are
China, even if, so revolting that we have for counted. the prevention of this exposing to
known, in order to check the excessive reac
·
during the curse of the troubles in North
London telegrams sug- gest, the damage to the railway stock and plant has been exaggerated, that it is a wel- come change to see their cause at last espoused by the Government to which they have to look for support.
EDUCATION IN HONGKONG.
(Daily Press, 9th March.) In his report on Hongkong in 1899 H.F. the Governor devotes a section to the sub-
ject of Education, which, in view of the recent discussion on the teaching of Euro- pean children in the Coloy, will be read with interest. Sir HENRY BLAKE writes of
a state of affairs which is practically that additions to the number of smaller which obtains now, though there have been since the date at which the report was pen- ned, and a new day-school, designed to ac comodate 200 children, has been founded at Ho TUNG. We will follow the division of Kowloon through the generosity of Mr. education under different heads which is head of primary education there are two adopted in the report. Firstly under the
main classes-schools where an English
beside a much larger number of women, in The most cases at the hands of savages as brutal as the Red Indians of the past or the Cossacks of the present. That such a practice has continued so long is an infamy May it be hoped that among the good results of the horrors of last year there will be the worst of deaths of white women and a long time hesitated to publish any of children! The reform should proceed from them. But there has been a tendency, the missionary bodies themselves. If it does since it was found out that the foreigners not, the Governments concerned have a "in the Legations at Peking were not mas-plain duty before them. All who wish well sacred, to discredit the reports of atrocities to missionary enterprise must trust that the “that have been only passed from mouth to Societies will not wait for legislation. Can mouth, and we think that it is right to pub- the China Inland Mission, w. ich has seen **lish this small part of the truth. No one twenty children connected with its mission- reading the articles will deny that the Daily aries die; or the Christian and Missionary News is right in calling the details “revolt- Alliance, which has lost fifteen children;- ing." For this reason we refrain from re- producing them or quoting from them. If seventeen more can these Societies con- or the other bodies, who are responsible for the truth of the story is established beyond tinue to permit the sending of defencelesa doubt, it may be salutary to let it be children, to say nothing of women who presumably go of their own choice, to a tion which has taken place, since the mis- possible martyrdom and yet be considered deeds of the Allied troops in the North were worthy of respect? It is much to be re- made public. Undoubtedly when the sus-gretted that we have as yet heard nothing pense about the beleaguered foreigners at of any steps being taken to prevent the Peking had been happily ended and it began repetition of the worst features of last year's to leak out how the forces which caine to
massacres in the only certain way. The avenge outraged civilisation had themselves talk is still of the les: 01 which China has been guilty in a great many cases of conduct learnt. What is the lesson which the Mis- which would disgrace barbarians, the easily sionary Societies have learnt? We note influenced public of the Old and New Worlds two facts bearing on were led to minimise the wrongs committed February number of the Church Missionary this point in the by the Chinese, and the truth of the cas became again obscured. But is the evidence Society: One is that the Society had called a public meeting in London on the 28th now published merely the statement of ult, on the subject of " Women's Work in education is given (the only ones which facts, which alone would justify the China"; and the other that the number of need concern us now), and schools where a publication of so horrible a recital? Our
vernacular education is given. Each divi- contemporary's informant is a gentlemau behalf of the Church Missionary Society heads:-(1) schools entirely supported by women candidates for foreign service on
sion may be subdivided under the three who received his account from a Chinese convert of seventeen years' standing, for-
was less during last year than since 1895.
Government; (2) grant-in-aid schools; (8) merly & military mandarin. This latter did
private schools. Of Government schools not himself witness the atrocities, but TIENTSIN RAILWAY TROUBLES. which give their pupils an education in Eng. obtained his report from two native
lish there are four, outside Queen's College. Christians whom he had sent round
Education is free, and the majority of scho-- the mission stations in Shansi to co 1 ct In the brief statement telegraphed by our lars are Chinese and Eurasians, with a few what news they could of the murdered London correspondent about the friction Indians. They are under the charge missionaries. We wish to cast no doubt on existing at Tientsin between the British and native teachers capable of teaching up to the good faith of any conceinel in the Russians may be seen the possibility of an the fourth standard. At the annual com- enquiry, but it must be said that the evidence exceedingly awkward situation, which in the petive examination of the four schools, four is very far indeed from first-hand, and interests of peace in the North we must all boys are selected for free scholarships teji- those who scouted the statements of Dr. hope to see averted. The incident is rable at Queen'sollege. In addition, the DILLON and other correspondents about ported to have arisen over the construction Be ilios Public School for girls gives an the conduct of the foreign troops up north of a riding on the Railway, which was English education to girls and a few boys cannot with justice claim explicit credence handed back by the Germans to the British too young to enter Queen's College. for all the reports as to Chinese atrocities. on the 21st ult. The position of affairs Eighteen grant-in-aid schools in 1899 gave To do so is to show bias, not discrimination. reached so acute a point that Mr. KINDER an English education, and their grants de- while we are not prepared to accept has been furnis ed with military support,pend on the results of yearly examinations. ted facts the whole of the story to be used if necessary in carrying on his Nearly all are attached to some religious told by the North-China Daily News con work. Our Tientsin correspondent wrote body, and, except the Diocesan School, St. tibutor, the mere figures of losses suffered on the 16th ult. that it was understood Joseph's College, and Victoria English by the various missions in hansi seem to Mr. KINDER and bis civilian staff School, they only give a primary education. us sufficient to stir the feelings of the most would take over the administration of Of the new school at Kowloon, which is not callous The China Inland Mission has the railway on former lines, though of contemplated, of course, in the report before compiled statistics of the deaths among the course there would be military supervision us, the founder said on the 20th July last, various missionary societies, exclusive of for a long time and army supply would the date on which the foundation-stone, w Roman Catholics, during the Boxer rising. be the paramount duty of the managers.
laid: 'I believe it to be a maxim that it is.. It appears from these that in Shansi and It seems probable that the trouble has the duty of the State to provide primary over the Mongolian border no less than 112 arisen through the conflict of claims between
“education only - Secondary education does adults and 45 children were killed. The the Railway contractors and the new de-
not, therefore, enter within the scope of writer in our Shanghai contemporary...
mands of Russia for land on the river bank th. Kowloon school, which shall be a hom we have been referring expresses opposite the old Settlements. It was
school in which an ordinary education shall fear that publicity with regard to the anticipated at the time when these demands “be given of such a nature as to enable the Shansi atrocities" may” “
result in anti- were first made that d difficulties might very
scholars to enter in the ordinary course missionary legislation or
for the Oxford Local and similar examin- in frightening possibly arise, particularly between the from the China Mission British and the Russians. A glance of the
ations." The senior division of Buch missionary legislation means recent plans of Tientsin will show that an examinations, however, is not con the practice of sending women alid attempt on Russia's part to get a large except perhaps in the remote ture. ren into the heart of China is to be extension of land on the further bank of the the senior certificate 6 of either Oxfor stopped as far as it is possible, not “fear" "Peiho would soon bring them into collision Cambridge may come to be regarded. but hope" is the word which should be with the Railway contractors. What proper leaving certificate to be obtained by
1
.
(Daily Press, 15th March.)
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