Indemnities and Christianity in China
A MEMBER of the American Board of Foreign Missions has made a trip through certain districts in China where missionaries or native Christians had been killed, and has compelled the Chinese to pay considerable sums of money as indemnity for the acts of the Boxers. He has compelled the Chinese to pay $150 for each murder of a Christian, and to pay full price for all property destroyed. He reports that the Catholics are compelling the payment of $250 for each Catholic killed, and are demanding head for head. This means that 680 Chinese shall be killed in the province of Wenchiu, and that $170,000 be paid as indemnity. When such a thing is done under the name of Christianity, it is not hard to understand the slow progress of real Christianity in China, or the ordinary Chinese hatred of foreigners, especially in view of the fact that the member of the American Board above referred to approves and advocates the harsher methods in dealing with the Chinese. THE formal demands of the powers have been signed by all the representatives of the powers in China, and the joint demand presented to the representatives of the Chinese Government. These demands are substantially as outlined some time ago. Several weeks are expected to elapse before anything definite is received from the Chinese Government in reference to the demands. An army of 2,000 Chinese reformers was recently trapped in a city on the Yang-tse River by the governor of the province, and twenty leaders of this new reform movement (not the Boxers) were beheaded, and 1,500 of the reform army were slaughtered before they could get out of the city. THE Boer invasion of Cape Colony has resulted in stirring up the spirit of rebellion among the Cape Colony Dutch, and there have been considerable accessions to the ranks of the burghers. Lord Kitchener is planning to surround and capture the invaders. De Wet's bold dash with his force thru the English lines to escape capture has stirred the admiration of England. A despatch of December 25 states that a battle was then in progress near De Aar. On account of the renewed activity of the Boers, railway traffic has been practically suspended in the colony. England is sending more troops to South Africa, and has invited Australia and New Zealand to send further contingents. THE Senate, by a vote of 55 to 18, ratified the Hay-Pauncefote canal treaty on December 20, after having made certain important amendments. The treaty as amended supersedes the Clayton-Bulwer treaty, and permits the United States so to control the canal as to guard its own interests. The clause has also been stricken out which invited other powers to become parties to the convention.